


To Save a Drake

by theMidgey



Series: Drake!verse [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Angst, Badass Katsuki Yuuri, Chris makes a mistake, Creature Fic, CreatureAU, Drake biology, Drake!Victor, Drake!Yuuri, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Hiroko Katsuki has a huge heart, Hurt Katsuki Yuuri, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Phichit Chulanont is the Best, Pining, Protective Nishigoris, Protective Yuri Plisetsky, Rating May Change, Smitten Victor Nikiforov, Victor Nikiforov is a Little Shit, Yuri Plisetsky Is So Done, drakes, i'll let you know, only slightly, smut in later chapters, so is yuri, there will be lots of it, whoops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2019-09-18 08:52:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16991880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theMidgey/pseuds/theMidgey
Summary: Phichit has spent his life taking care of Drakes, a type of humanoid that carries reptile-like features. When he gets a call saying a family found an injured Drake on a beach near their business, Phichit doesn't hesitate getting on that plane to Japan.Given a name, a new home and learning to deal with his hindered eyesight, Yuuri doesn't know what to make of the walls that now house him and the eccentric human that keeps trying to befriend him.He especially doesn't know what to make of this other Drake that keeps trying to court him.





	1. A call, a trip, and an injured Drake

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Exhibit of Love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12666393) by [Hyrulehalfbreed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyrulehalfbreed/pseuds/Hyrulehalfbreed). 



> Greetings and salutations! 
> 
> I loved the concept from Hyrulehalfbreed’s ereri fic [Exhibit of Love ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12666393/chapters/28871466) and my mind started spinning a YoI tales based around it. The original idea belongs to them.
> 
> I did do a little research in to certain things, but if you notice something that could be refined or touched up, let me know!
> 
> As for ages, Phichit is aged up to fit the storyline, so probably in his mid-twenties. As for Drake ages, I’ll explain that later in the fic, but I will let you know that those that are Drakes (I haven’t decided who all is going to be one) are at their canon ages, only in Drake years. (You’ll see).
> 
> I have to give a shout-out to my awesome beta, without her I wouldn’t have half as many awesome ideas and this fic would be riddled with mistakes!
> 
> Hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Yuri on Ice or any of these characters.

Phichit counts himself lucky to be able to work at his dream job, even if said job currently involves cleaning out Drake enclosures. Not that it bothers him to do so; any time around the animals and their habitat (even man-made) is worth it.

The existence of these humanoid creatures had only truly been known for the last fifteen years or so, as their populations rose enough that the sightings became more fact than fiction. Many speculated that Drakes were the reason behind the mermaid myth, even though they shared more characteristics with reptiles.

As humans started encroaching onto Drake territory and, by turn, Drakes started becoming more nuisance than novelty (mainly by farmers whose animals were being hunted by the more predatory creatures), many were taken in by biologists and scientists to study. Then, as the Drake population started dwindling, it became a mission for biologists and conservationists to try and save the unique species. Phichit’s own parents were some of the firsts, which is how he came to be where he was today. As a child, he loved listening to his parents speak about this curious beings that shared similar features to himself, but also had scales, tales, claws,  and acted more like an animal than a human. The fascination never stopped, and that’s how Phitchit came to be where he was today, a Drake enthusiast and one of the tops in his field.

Enclosure cleaned, Phichit watches from behind the glass as the Drake is let back in from the holding area. It’s an adult male, roughly five feet and a quarter inch in length; average for the species. Some speculated that they could get taller, but all the ones he had seen weren’t much taller than the one he was watching now. Of course, most of those he’d seen were in captivity. They are deceptively hard to find outside of their natural habitats, surprisingly; it shows that these animals were aware of their population decrease, an intelligence some doubted these creatures have.

Satisfied that the Drake before him was content in his now clean enclosure, Phichit checked it off his to do list. He was trying to decide what he was going to have for lunch when his cell started going off. Humming, he fished it out of his pocket and, seeing Celestino‘s picture and name, promptly answered.

“Ciao Ciao! No, just finishing up. Uh huh.. yeah.” He blinked a little bit, pulling his phone off of his ear briefly to stare at the screen before putting it back.

“We’re going to Japan?!”

* * *

Approximately twenty-eight hours later Phichit finds himself standing in front of the Yu-Topia Akatsuki onsen in Hasetsu, Japan with Celestino Cialdini, the head biologist of his team. He thinks back to when Ciao Ciao originally briefed him on the plane as to their impromptu trip.

_“I got a call from a family in Hasetsu. The daughter, Mari Katsuki, found an injured Drake wrapped in netting, seemingly lifeless among the rocks at the beach.” The elder then brought up his email to show to him the pictures attached. Phichit went through the pictures, blurry and seemingly from a cell phone, as Ciao Ciao had continued. “She managed to bring it to their home and into an empty room before getting a hold of us.”_

_Phichit had frowned and looked up at the man, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Why call us, though? There are centers that are probably closer to them than us? Not that I don’t appreciate it.”_

_Ciao Ciao smiled then and explained, “Mrs. Katsuki apparently watched an interview featuring you and the Drakes under our care. Mari explained that your passion for caring for these creatures are the reason she insisted we were called.”_

_Phichit had blushed at that, much to Celestino’s amusement. In that moment, Phichit swore that he would do everything that he could to help this Drake._

Now, finally standing in front of their destination, Phichit’s resolve only burns brighter.

He follows Ciao Ciao inside, recognizing Toshiya Katsuki at the front desk from the pictures he’d been shown on the plane. _He obviously knows who we are_ , Phichit thought wryly, noticing the way the older man’s eyes lit up when he saw them. Mr. Katsuki gives them a broken greeting in English before motioning for them to follow.

He leads them to a dining room, motioning for them to take a seat. When Celestino and Phichit were seated, the older man ran off. He returned a few minutes later with a woman whose hair was bleached at the ends. It takes Phichit a moment to recognize the girl as the one who found the injured Drake, the daughter Mari. The photo that was sent in the email was an old one, it seemed; this Mari was sporting bleached ends and piercings.  She and Toshiya sit down across from them before Mari speaks in accented but surprisingly clear english, “My family and I would like to thank you for returning our calls and coming all the way here. It means a lot to my mother and us. We hope we haven’t put you into a hard place.”

Celestino gives a small nod and a smile as he replies, “You’re very welcome. Our purpose is to help these creatures, and we have funds just for cases like these, so it’s no trouble at all.” Mari’s shoulders slump, looking relieved at hearing the lack of financial burden before turning to her father and translating. He also lets out a relieved breath.

Phichit pipes up, “I couldn’t have said it better! Where is Mrs. Katsuki, if I might ask?” He’d noticed that she hadn’t joined them; he assumes that she must be covering taking care of customers, even though on that day the onsen was empty, no one in sight.

“Okaa-san is getting rooms ready for the two of you. She will meet us at Yuuri’s room.”

Phichit cocks his head to the side some, slightly confused as he asks, “Yuuri?”

Mari chuckles a little, her face taking on an expression that looks sad, as though she was remembering a memory from some time ago. Her father mimics the expression some at the sound of the name. “That is the name she gave the, ah,” she rolls her hand in the air, “the Drake, as you call them.” She looks down at the table a little, “When I was young, my younger brother, only a few months old, passed from sickness. Okaa-san says the Drake looks like him, so she named the Drake after him.” Her lips twitch in a small semblance of a smile. "She thinks he was watching over the Drake, and that is why we were the ones to find him."

Phichit’s face falls before saying, “I’m sorry for your loss." He gives her a sad smile, " Yuuri is a wonderful name.”

Mari smiles at him, “Thank you. It was a long time ago.” She lets out a breath and claps her hands together, as though the sound would dispel the saddened mood of the room. “Now, you have traveled far and I would give you the option. Do you want to see Yuuri now? Or would you rather rest and wait for the morning?”

Celestino and he look at each other, the elder giving him a nod to signal that it was Phichit’s decision. He bites his lip a little before saying, “I would like to go ahead and see him, to make sure that there’s nothing seriously wrong that can’t wait. Then, since it’s already so late, we’ll do a more in-depth look in the morning.”

Ciao Ciao nods in agreement before looking to their hosts, who nod in return and stand. Phichit makes sure his shoulder bag has a few things he thinks they’ll need before standing with his teammate and following after the Katsukis. They’re led from the public areas into what seems to be the personal part of the inn, where the Katsukis call home. An older woman exits one of the rooms as they approach and Mari greets the woman in quick japanese. The elder’s eyes light up as she comes to them, dropping into a bow before speaking to them in rapid-fire japanese, a smile on her face.

Mari chuckles and turns to them, “My mother says that she is very happy that you came so quickly and thanks you. She is happy knowing that Yuuri will be taken care by someone who has a love of these beings.”

Phichit smiles and tries to return her bow, his smile so wide it almost hurts. “You’re very welcome Mrs. Katsuki! We will do our best to make sure he gets the care that he needs. He is in safe hands!” He means it too.

Mrs. Katsuki’s expression softens as Mari translates, and she takes Phichit’s hands in hers and gently pats them and giving him a heartfelt, “ _Arigatou_.”

They follow Mrs. Katsuki a little ways down the hallway where she stops in front of a door. Phichit can hear some slight shuffling from the other side, thanks to the thin walls, and follows the older woman in after opening the door. There’s a click of a lamp before the small room is flooded with a soft light, and Mrs. Katsuki steps aside as Phichit moves forward to get a better look.

Sure enough, in the corner laying on top of a small pile of blankets lies a Drake. He’d started growling slightly when they’d first entered the room, and now it reverberates around the small room; a deep, scratchy sounding thing. Phichit doesn’t go much farther than the doorway, not wanting to upset the distressed creature any more than necessary is (and for safety’s sake; he might be eccentric, but he’s not stupid). The light is enough to get a good look at him though, and Phichit tries not to squeal as he crouches and takes out a notebook to begin making his initial observations, speaking quietly to the others as he does.

“His physical features say male, but we’ll know more once we do a more thorough look. I’m not seeing any blood, and he’s not moving so I’m unable to tell if he’s favoring one limb over the other. Does he have any opens wounds that you were able to see?” He directs the question at Mari, glancing back at her. The woman shakes her head in reply, translating for her parents as she goes.

Phichit nods a little and turns back to the Drake, whose growls were starting to quiet down. “Judging by his size, I’d say he’s still a juvenile but on the cusp of adulthood. He looks like he’ll get to be a good 165 centimeters. Probably around 130 centimeters now..” He makes a few notes in his notebook. “His scales are beautiful, but judging by their opaque look, from what I can see from the ones around his eyes, he’s probably going to be shedding soon.”

Mrs. Katsuki says something then, pointing to the Drake. Mari translates, “Okaa-san wants to know about his weight. He was already thin when we brought him back, but he hardly touches anything we try and give him.”

Phichit taps his pencil against his lips and stands, making the Drake tense and hiss; dark eyes, narrowed since they entered, look at him from beneath black fringe. His blue-black (grey-ish right now, but Phichit bets they’re black) glint in the lamp-light as his tail flicks back and forth, almost like an agitated cat. Phichit takes a cautious step forward, still keeping enough distance between them should the Drake try and lash out, and cranes his neck to get a look at his abdomen.

“He does look thin. Drakes can go for a while without a meal, especially those who live in colder climates. Some are used to hibernating.” He hums a little and crouches down, watching the Drake follow him. Something about his jerky movement bothers him; it seems as though it’s not quite from Yuuri being defensive. “My guess is that Yuuri isn’t eating due to emotional or physical trauma. He’s had a rough time, with whatever happened before you found him to now being in an unfamiliar place. Have you gotten him to eat anything at all?”

Mrs. Katsuki preens a little as Mari smiles, “He seems to like katsudon, at least a little. It’s Okaa-san’s signature dish.”

Phichit chuckles a little at that before turning back to Yuuri, “I think he’ll be alright for now. There is one thing I’m worried about, but I won’t be able to confirm it until we get back to the States.” He motions for Celestino to come forward, and the other man crouches next to him as Yuuri lets out another hiss. “Watch his eyes, Ciao Ciao.” The elder nods as Phichit shimmies forward a little and extends his arm. Yuuri tenses and hisses again as Phichit starts swaying his arm slightly from side to side. The Drake follows the movement jerkily, but accurately, until Phichit starts moving back some.

Celestino nods in understanding. “Seems his eyes aren’t too good. If he’s not eating due to trauma as you think..”

“...then the sight problem is a recent development, and probably happened during the incident that led to him being all tied up,” Phichit finishes, making another note down.

“You said he was going to shed. Wouldn’t that affect his eyesight?” Phichit looks up at Mari, who had asked the question, but it’s Ciao Ciao who answers.

“That is very true, and while a Drake’s whole body does go through something of a shed or a molt, their eyes do not. Generally the only reptiles that do so are ones that don’t have eyelids, such as snakes.” Mari nods in understanding as the two kneeling men stand.

Phichit brushes his pants off lightly, “I think that will be all for tonight. Being as agitated as he is, I don’t want to try and put him under just yet. We’ll save that for in the morning.”

Mrs. Katsuki makes them all go out first and Phichit smiles as he (thinks) he hears her tell Yuuri goodnight and shut off the lamp, shutting the door behind her. They go their separate ways then, with Mari showing Phichit and Celestino where their rooms are before heading off to take care of customers (“We’re much busier in the evening time than we are during the day, Mari had told them when he’d asked). The two biologists use this time to freshen up, getting a shower before soaking in the hot spring. They see the Katsukis again when they meet in the dining hall, sitting down at one of the tables, the family a well organized machine as they help their customers. (Mrs. Katsuki brings them bowls of Katsudon for dinner, and Phichit can absolutely see why their resident Drake chooses to eat it!)

It’s as they’re finishing up, having discussed what they were going to do the next day, that Mari approaches their table with a bag in hand. She sets it down, “This is the net we found Yuuri in.”

Phichit shares a look with Ciao Ciao before taking the bag and opening it, pulling out the tangled mass of netting. His face darkens as he studies the netting for a moment. “I think the reason behind Yuuri’s current situation was a poaching attempt.”

Mari lets out a sigh and shakes her head, “Disgusting. How can you tell though?”

He holds out the netting, motioning for her to touch it before explaining, “This is thicker than the normal netting used for fish and was made to withstand being cut at by something repeatedly. Whether from a knife or, in this case, a Drake’s claws. I don’t know how he got away, but Yuuri is very lucky.”

“Despicable.”

“Agreed.” He offers her a smile, “He’s had you and your family to look after him though, and now we’ll do what we can to give him a good life.”

Mari nods, “Thank you. Will you release him back into the wild? Once he recovers?”

Phichit hesitates, looking to Celestino briefly before shaking his head sadly. “It depends, but most likely not. If his eyesight has been compromised like I think it has, he’d face a lot of hardship being released and there’d be a higher risk he could die.” He smiles, “I’ll do my best to take care of him and make sure he gets the care he needs! You can count on it!”

Mari smiles back. “Thank you. We’re counting on you.”

* * *

Phichit is at breakfast early the next morning, eager to get started. He asks Mrs. Katsuki (with Mari there to translate) to get something for Yuuri to eat and explains, “I’m going to add a sedative into the mix. This way, if he eats, it’ll put him to sleep so we don’t have to hold him down and deliver it with a needle.”

He can tell Mrs. Katsuki doesn’t really like the idea of drugging him, but if the way she nods and starts cooking shows anything, it’s that she likes the second plan less. Phichit figured she would.

Phichit, Mari and Celestino watch from the doorway as Mrs. Katsuki lays out a plate raw fish somewhat close to Yuuri while still keeping enough distance between she and Drake; they’d agreed to allow the woman to do it because he’d accepted food from her before. They retreat and shut the door before preparing a space for their examination. Phichit and Celestino help the Katsuki’s bring a large table into an old banquet room on the same hall as Yuuri’s room.

About a half hour later they go back to check on Yuuri, and Phichit lets out a sigh of relief to see that the Drake had eaten most of the fish they’d set out. They shut the door again and he smiles as he says, “So far so good! Now we wait for the sedative to take effect. In the meantime, I’m going to suit up!”

Mari raises an eyebrow. “Suit up?’

He blushes a little bit and chuckles, “I’m going to put on a sterilized coat, like a lab coat. Before that, I’ll make sure that I have sterilized gloves, thick animal-handling gloves, and some other necessary equipment ready.”

Mari nods as her lips tip up into a smile. They give the sedative forty-five minutes to take effect; Phichit figures with Yuuri’s current state it wouldn’t take long. Sure enough, they return to find the Drake out cold. Wearing thick gloves, Celestino picks Yuuri up and carries him to their makeshift examination room, laying him down on the (sanitized) table.

Phichit gasps excitedly when he finally gets a good look at the Drake. Long, lithe, and lightly muscled, he takes in the way the pale skin contrasts with the somewhat opaque blue-black scales that reflect in the flourescent light of the room. “Beautiful! Just look at his coloring..” Celestino nods along with his statement as Mari and Mrs. Katsuki stand against one of the walls, giving them space.

The two biologists snap on a pair of gloves and get to work. They start by laying Yuuri out and getting his height; Phichit takes care of most of the handling and relays the results to Ciao Ciao, who records them onto a tablet that they’d brought from their center in Detroit. He can hear Mari translate to Mrs. Katsuki in the background.

“Let’s see… 142.4 centimeters tall, including tail. Weighs approximately 27 kilos, although we’ll get a more accurate weight at home.” He puts on a stethoscope and places it against Yuuri’s back and chest. “Lungs sound good.” He opens Yuuri’s mouth, revealing two rows of sharp teeth, some more blunt than the rest. “Mouth looks good. Dilation of the eyes look good too, although I am seeing some scars on and around the skin outside.”

He puts the flashlight up that he’d used to check his eyes and runs his fingers gently but firmly over the scales framing the Drake’s unconscious face. He runs his thumb up the scales that start at the bridge of his nose and trail up before flaring out mid-forehead, disappearing into his hairline. He runs his hands gently through the dense locks, gently laying his head down and feeling the back of his head. “Head’s good, I don’t think we’re looking at any head injuries.” He checks the Drake’s ears, pointed and slightly frilled before straightening.

“So far so good! Definitely underweight, but not as bad as we thought. Some damage around his eyes, as previously noted, and it looks like he has a few bruises here and there but I don’t think we’re looking at anything broken.” He picks up one of Yuuri’s arms, showing off hands sporting wicked looking black talons. He gently parts the fingers, showing off opaque webbing. “Definitely suited to an aquatic environment. He’s got a set of small gills behind each ear and I bet he has webbing between his toes.” A quick check of the Drake’s feet, which also sport webbing and slightly elongated toes, confirms his theory. “I’ll bet he can stay underwater for quite some time. We’ll have to make sure they know to set up an enclosure with a pool.”

Phichit removes his gloves before putting on a new pair. “Now, to see what gender Drake we’re looking at.”

Mari frowns and speaks up, “I thought we agreed he was male?” Phichit nods a little as he moves toward Drake’s hips.

“You’re correct that he definitely looks male, and for the most part Drakes present the exact gender that they look externally. Drakes are generally a hermaphroditic species though, and it’s not uncommon to find fertile males that sport a uterus. It can be hard to tell because, like reptiles, a Drake’s reproductive organs are situated inside the body. If what I felt during my examination earlier…”

He trails off as he gently pulls the tail up; one difference that Drake’s have with reptiles is that they do have an anus, although it is situated directly beneath the base of the tale. Phichit does take a moment to glance over it, to make sure there’s no damage to the area around it before gently probing lower, where human genitalia normally sit. The slit opens with a bit of pressure and he gently presses inside.

“Well, we have a penis, so he is still definitely male. Inordinately small  testicles from what I can feel, and…” he makes a small noise of triumph, “we have a uterus as well!” He pulls his  fingers out and removes his gloves. “Nothing feels damaged. Looks like we have an omega male on our hand, or a male capable of producing offspring,” he explains for Mari and Mrs. Katsuki. Phichti sees the way they nod, but never take their eyes off of Yuuri. He chuckles a little, “You guys can touch him if you want, but make sure you wash your hands well afterward.”

He holds out a travel size bottle of hand sanitizer as the two women come forward. Sanitized, they take turns gently touching over the Drake’s scales and the skin of his back. Mari makes a noise, “His skin looks smooth from father away, but it is rough.”

“I know, pretty deceptive, huh? Their skin is thick and has a rough texture, to better protect from predators and other Drakes. They can be social, but if you’re not a part of an established group, fights can happen.”

Mari nods, “Makes sense.” She translates for her mother, who is gently cradling the young Drake’s head in a somewhat loving manner, a soft look on her face and softly cooing to Yuuri in Japanese. It makes Phichit smile, but also want to look away, like he’s intruding on a private moment between a mother and child. It makes Phichit want to protect Yuuri more, if only to keep the older woman happy. Not that it will be a problem; his life’s work is the study and protection of these creatures.

The two women thank him and go to clean their hands as Ciao Ciao puts the protective gear back on and carries the sedated Drake back to the room while Phichit cleans up and goes over the notes they took. He makes sure everything is in order before sending the notes back to the center via email, along with instruction on how Yuuri’s enclosure should be set up.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. They’d gone out after the examination to sight-see a little, since they probably weren’t going to be coming back to the area and they’d already gotten their things ready. They went to bed early that night, as their flight was scheduled to depart early the next morning. A crate they brought with them from home sat outside the door to Yuuri’s room and Phichit had a sedative ready for their trip. He’d received an email back that afternoon stating they’d gotten his instruction and were already starting on the enclosure.

They were ready to take Yuuri to his new home.


	2. A New Home (?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Far away from home, a lost soul wonders what the future holds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> I am blown away by all the kudos, comments, subs and everything and AH! I'm so grateful to everyone giving this story a chance! I couldn't wait to bring you the second chapter.  
> As always, big thanks to my wonderful beta!!  
> Also, fair warning, I am not an architect.  
> I hope you enjoy it!

The trip home was.. eventful, to say the least. The morning of the journey home, they’d had to pin Yuuri down to sedate him because he wouldn’t touch any food. Watching the thrashing Drake fight against them upset Mrs. Katsuki so much that Mari has to hold her back while the older woman sobbed. Phichit felt bad, but they had to do what they had to do (of course, he did tear up when Mrs. Katsuki said goodbye; he didn’t have to speak Japanese to know she was comforting the sedated Drake).

The trip to the airport and the plane ride itself was uneventful, although Phichit worried for the crated Drake and how he was faring down in cargo the whole trip (Mrs. Katsuki was worried about Yuuri flying all the way back to the U.S.). Luckily (and unluckily), they landed home and had to deal with an awake, disoriented, and irritated Drake once they’d retrieved him. Yuuri didn’t hesitate showing that irritation, hissing and growling loudly at anything coming near the crate. Phichit didn’t feel bad sedating Yuuri then (okay, well maybe a little. The only consolation was that it was for Yuuri’s comfort).

* * *

Phichit cries tears of joy when they finally make it back to the center in Detroit.

He’s thankful he has a competent team, because Yuuri’s enclosure is finished when they walk inside. Phichit takes a walk through the 30 by 30 space, making sure he’s got a good hiding/sleeping area, he has a place to bask, the plant and dirt was good that his pool was good and clean before he and Celestino lay the sedated Drake down and head out.

Now all they had to do was wait.

* * *

It’s quiet when he finally comes to.

He wills his body not to tense, though it always does, and opens dark brown eyes only to close them with a hiss as the light assaults the sensitive orbs. He draws his limbs into himself, blinking his eyes open again; it takes a moment, but he’s able to finally look at his surroundings somewhat. Disoriented as he is, he almost thinks he’s home; he’s laying on a bed of earth with plants and foliage surrounding him.

Except it’s quiet.

There’s no chirping of bugs or the rustle of other animals running through the area. Birds aren’t singing their songs in the trees, and he’s not surprised that he’s unable to see the vast blue of the sky above him. Instead there’s walls that cover four sides, pale against the colors of the rest of his new habitat except for one. He squints, because from where he is everything far away is blurry, but he’s sure that one wall isn’t there. Instead, the dirt and plants suddenly stop and seem to drop off. There’s another wall some ways away from that. Could it be a way to freedom?

It’s possible, but he doesn’t check. He’s tired of the constant moving, the changing of scenery and the unwilling sleep. He’s long since resigned himself that he’s not going to be free again, not since he was first swept violently into a strange webbing by the upright creatures. He’s too weak at the moment to even dare to put himself at risk. He does the opposite of checking, willing his shaking limbs to move as he hauls himself up. The sudden movement upsets his already sour stomach and he gags, his whole body lurching as dry heaves wrack his body. He’s just happy that nothing comes up.

He takes a moment to breathe through it, digging his talons and fingers into the dirt to ground himself before carefully looking around himself again. In the corner he finds a shelter, something like a cave. He looks around himself once more before moving towards it slowly. It’s surprisingly big on the inside, and it settles something inside him as he crawls inside and to the back.

Using his hands and talons, he digs into the dirt and creates something of a shallow bed, leaving the dirt on the sides as a kind of barrier before laying down in the dug-out space. Getting comfortable, he closes his eyes and tries to calm himself enough to rest.

He’ll get his bearings and explore this new cage once it's safe to.

* * *

He doesn’t know how long he sleeps, but what rest he does manage to get helps make his limbs not so shaky anymore. His stomach, however, is cramping, and his head hurts like it has been since _after_. He needs to eat, and is the reason why he finds himself at the entrance of the little cave, carefully taking in the new surroundings again.

He can’t see the farthest parts of this new cage clearly (trying to makes his head hurt worse), but in the main immediate surroundings he sees what looks like a cluster of tree limbs closer to the entrance of his cave and runs along the wall to his right. Plants of all varieties line the wall to his left, although there is a space where the color is different than the rest of the wall.

Anxiety curls in his gut and makes his limbs stiff as his breath quickens, but he forces it away (as much as he can, anyways). He can’t afford to let himself look weak to these _uprights_ anymore than he already has. If he lets it take over, it could be hours before it ends. Time he’s not sure he can spare.

He edges out of the cave some, lifting his nose to draw in the scents around him. He smells himself and the dirt and plants around him. There’s the scent of a couple of the _uprights,_ but it’s stale and old.

Confident that there’s nothing there with him, he pulls himself fully out of the cave and shakes himself off. His body feels a lot better now that he’s gotten some genuine rest and not the false sleep that was forced upon him.

He spends the next ten minutes exploring his new territory. Plants line all the walls except where the suddenly stop, which he figures out is in fact an odd, clear wall when he gets closer and smacks his head on the invisible lining. It makes him hiss, and in a momentary flash of anger he rakes his talons across the clear surface; the only thing he gets in return is a small noise from his talons meeting the clear substance. It’s utterly perplexing. He moves on when he sees the pool of water in the corner. It reminds him of a lake near his home, and as he approaches the bank he realizes his throat is utterly dry.

After a cautionary sniff, he leans forward and laps at the water eagerly. It’s cool and crisp against him tongue, easing some of the pains in his stomach. His thirst quenched, he crawls into the pool to inspect that as well. The bank is small and dips off, deep enough that he can swim down some. The water is refreshing against his skin and scales, but it’s when he pulls himself out and shakes off does he notice the small pond lacked any sort of fish. It reminds him again of his hunger.

There’s no prey, however, and his stomach knots in slight panic as well as hunger. The anxiety creeps up on him again, but he forcefully shakes it away (he’s always been more anxious than others that he’s met, and his litter-mates often found it annoying), instead climbing one of the long limbs that sits on the right of his cave. He lays himself out, scratching his talons against the bark before settling down to watch and wait.

* * *

He doesn’t know how long he lays in wait, but he tenses when he hears a sound coming from the wall to the left of the shelter and watches carefully. It’s far enough away that the details are somewhat blurry, but he watches as a portion of the wall slides up. His tail twitches in anticipation and slight fear, wondering if one of those _uprights_ would enter and put force him into a false sleep again.

He lets out a sigh of relief when one of those small rodents with the long ears are pushed through the opening and lets his body relax as it closes after. Then he lets his body tense in a more instinctive way as he watches the rodent move around area, his stomach cramping in hunger. He silently crawls down the limb, touching down onto the ground as he tracks his prey. The creature makes the fatal mistake of wandering too close and it barely gets out a squeak of surprise and fear as he pounces. His sharp teeth sink into fur as blood floods his mouth, and the sound of cracking bones echoes in his ears as he snaps the creature’s neck. He takes a moment to make sure it’s no longer breathing before he returns to his new den with the limp, lifeless prey.

* * *

The days bleed together in a similar manner to that first day. He wakes, explores briefly, maybe takes a dip in the pond, and ends up on either the limb or the rock (he found it that first day after his meal, the surface surprisingly warm despite there not being a visible sun to heat it). _Uprights_ walk by outside the clear wall, some stopping and looking in on him at times (he can hear them coming, normally, loudly vocalizing to one another and he makes sure he’s high up on the limb when they come by before disappearing into other parts of what he thinks to be a large cave, or whatever the _uprights_ call it). Their comings and goings never fail to leave him on edge for a while after.

Meals varying between the long-eared rodent and the smaller, faster rodents get pushed through the small opening a couple times a day. He hasn’t eaten this good in a long while, and there’s enough food he wishes he had someone from his pack (mostly litter mates that stayed in the same area with their mates and pups) to share it with.

He tries to steer clear of those thoughts because they remind him how lonely he is. Granted, their species tend to be loners until mated, but they weren’t necessarily alone all the time. He thinks of the _upright_ woman who tended to him after his escape, reminding him of how his own mother had cared for him until he left, like all pups do. He doesn’t count the unfamiliar _uprights_ that walk by, never long enough to be familiar (not that he wants them to, he _doesn’t_ ).

He manages to keep it at bay, but the loneliness still stays, like dirt that manages to lodge itself in his ears or the hair that protects his head. It cramps hs stomach and makes him want to call out. He blames it all on the recent events.

Of course, it’s on a day that he’s trying to push away that loneliness that he sees him again. The _upright_ who’d brought him here.

He was at the pond, soaking himself, when the creature comes out of nowhere. He’d let his guard down, laying half on the bank with his lower half in the water and his eyes closed. He’d already eaten the first meal and was pleasantly full, purring for the first time since before he’d come here.

Then he opens his eyes and _there’s something there_ , right on the other side of the clear barrier and suddenly he’s upright, talons digging into the dirt and body tense. This close, he can make out the features of the _upright_ : Black hair so similar to his own against tan skin and dark eyes which are widened in...happiness? His lips are spread wide, a too-big smile, and strange furs covering his body. He flinches back and hisses lowly as the _upright_ brings his his hand up and waves it back and forth. His threat goes against deaf ears, though, as the _upright_ simply laughs.

“ _Hello there_ , Yuuri.”

His ears twitch forward at the weird sounds coming from the _upright’s_ mouth, although one stands out, bringing back memories of when he was back at the motherly _upright’s_ den. The older female started calling him that, and now this _upright_ male was calling him that as well. As he’s pondering that, the male on the other side of the barrier continues making those sounds (he thinks it must be how he speaks with others of his species).

 _“Sorry to scare you! You’re looking so much better, I’m glad! Seeing you settle in and gaining weight will surely make Mrs. Katsuki happy. You seem to be enjoying your enclosure, so that’s also good! You’re so quiet though, some vocalize at least a little throughout the day....”_ He focuses back on the _upright_ as the other male brings up a thin black square and focuses it on him. The male lowers it only a moment later and makes some kind of a high-pitched, pleased sound which makes him growl.

 _“You’re such a handsome creature,_ Yuuri _. I can’t wait to see your scales when you shed! I’ll send this off to Mari’s email so she can see it when she wakes and show it to her mother.”_ The male puts the black thing away and gives him a confident look. _“We’ll take care of you here,_ Yuuri _! I promise!”_

He doesn’t understand the noises coming from the _upright’s_ mouth, but he does slightly understand the posture and he doesn’t know whether to be worried or not.

* * *

The _upright_ comes by regularly now, vocalizing to Yuuri in the way he does with other of his kind, calling him by the name that the upright has given him. _Yuuri._ The other will speak for periods of time, and at first Yuuri would keep away from the other, cautious even though the barrier seems to both keep Yuuri in and the other out. Then, as the _upright’s_ presence chips away at his loneliness and caution, curiosity takes its place.

He finds out that the other _uprights_ call him Phichit. The _upright_ male is easily excitable and gestures wildly with his hands and sometimes makes loud noises, like pups when they’re at play. Yuuri thinks he would vibrate away if he didn’t look so heavy. Phichit watches him hunt with wonder and fascination during meal times, when he takes a swim, when Yuuri so much as gets close to the barrier. It’s a little endearing, if a little unnerving.

Phichit brings by another _upright_ male, an older one by his looks, every now and then, one they call _Ciao Ciao_. This _upright_ was intimidating in his size, and the first time Yuuri meets him he makes sure to keep away until he can assess the other wasn’t a threat. Then the two become a constant, and Yuuri finds himself becoming more accustomed to the _upright’s_ seemingly docile presence.

* * *

The day the _uprights enter his territory_ comes.

Yuuri is laying out on the limb, irritable and itchy thanks to the shedding. He often finds himself going between the pond and the limb, rubbing against the bark to lift the dead skin and scales. He’ll be happy when the process is done. His head is pounding as well; it does on a daily basis, but it’s been worse lately and it only adds to his irritability.

He’s used to the sounds of the uprights opening the space on the wall to feed him, and turns to it instinctively when he hears the hiss of it lifting. He freezes, though, when he notices that instead of the small opening, a _larger one_ opens next to it, one he _didn’t see,_ _how could he miss it?_ He tenses, his tail twitching back and forth in warning, ears flattening to his head and growl coming through his lips. He waits, and in walks none other….

...than Phichit.

Seeing the familiar upright, Yuuri stops growling but doesn’t move; he’s still more than on guard, because while he knows this _upright_ between the barrier, he’s never been in the _same space_ as him.

The enclosure they’ve kept him in may not be his home in the truest sense of the word, but it was still Yuuri’s territory. Their intrusion is enough to set him on edge. Not to mention his kind are very protective of their territory.

Phichit isn’t wearing his loose, white fur when he comes in. Instead, he’s wearing new, thick furs that cover his hands, arms, and front, as well as a pair of odd, clear shields across his eyes. Phichit’s scent hits him as the male moves, a warm, slightly spicy smell. The _upright_ is hunched over some as he carries an odd contraption, water spilling out of the side. He’s drawn from his observations when he hears Phichit call to him.

 _“Hey there Yuuri, easy, don’t worry you know me. Well, kind of, I’m sure me actually being inside here is a little different. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.”_ Phichit looks at him in that way that he does, mouth too wide but not in a threatening way, as he carefully moves away from him and towards the front of his territory.

 _A wise idea_ , he thinks to himself, watching the other approach his pond. The upright continues to speak to him as he does, and Yuuri cocks his head to the side as a somewhat familiar scent hits his nose after Phichit dumps the contents of the weird, grey thing into his pond.

 _“It’s funny, I thought of this idea in the beginning but completely forgot about actually doing it! It took Ciao Ciao reminding me. I felt so stupid!”_ The _upright_ steps back and Yuuri can see the blurry forms of water-bound prey swimming around his pond. A feeling curls in Yuuri’s chest then, and he thinks it’s something like fondness for this creature that is so like him, yet so different. Phichit continues to keep his distance as he starts making his way but stops when Yuuri warbles, thankful, to the other male from his spot on the limb.

* * *

Phichit comes into his territory constantly now, standing and observing in the corner by the opening. Sometimes he sits, but he’s always vocalizing and keeping a submissive posture. Yuuri thinks again this _upright_ is wise. As time goes on, Yuuri lets his curious side come to the forefront and he’ll get a little closer, sniffing in the other’s direction and earning small, pleased noises from the _upright_. Sometimes Phichit will  offer Yuuri pieces of fresh meat or one of the slim aquatic prey; it takes Yuuri almost a week to work up the courage to take it from him, and every time he does it Phichit’s eyes will light up, he’ll vibrate in that weird, excited way he does and makes excited sounds.The day Yuuri lets Phichit run his hands along his scales, the other male shrieks so loud that Yuuri bolts onto his tree limb and hisses, refusing to come down until the other leaves.

* * *

The first time Yuuri feels anger towards the male, true, utter _anger_ , is the day he eats one of the small rodents they send through and his eyes feel heavy, his body going lax and _he knows this feeling_.

They keep him under for an indeterminable amount of time. The moments he wakes up are nothing but flashes of light, Phichit’s voice speaking and worry making his scent sour, and pain. When he finally is allowed to wake for longer periods of time in a cage that wasn’t his new territory, he growls and hisses at everything coming near him, and even bites at Phichit when he smells the man. He spends the time anxious, because he can’t see, _there’s something covering his eyes_. They poke him with sticks that make the pain go away but leave him lightheaded and vulnerable and he absolutely refuses to eat.

He vows he’ll never let the _upright_ near him ever again, he’s been _betrayed_ , but then the day comes that they take the covering off his eyes and he can _see_.

It’s not as good as _before_ , but it’s better than _after_ . The edges from far away are still slightly blurred, but it is definitely clearer than before. He’s confused and still angry, left wondering if he should be _grateful_ but they _hurt_ him and _betrayed_ him. They returned his _sight_ , and it all leaves a sour feeling in his stomach that has nothing to do with the false sleep.

Phichit is constantly coming by, his scent always sour with sadness and worry and yet Yuuri still growls at him, but not as loud. The day of the final false sleep, Phichit stands in front of his cage for a long while, speaking with Ciao Ciao.

_“I hate we had to do this, but he needed it. I hadn’t realized his eyes were so bad until we did the scans. He’s going to hate me forever!”_

Ciao Ciao puts a hand on Phichit’s shoulder, _“He’s mad, definitely, but let him heal. I’m sure with your persistence he’ll come around. You’ll be best friends again in no time.”_

_“You think so?”_

_“Of course!”_

Yuuri wishes he knew what they were saying.

* * *

They return him to his territory and he spends the first day and a half in his den, distrusting of the _uprights_ even if they gave him back his sight. Even the aches in his head are less, no longer the annoying, constant things they’d been. It’s not until his stomach yells at him loudly for food that he leaves the safety of the den and goes to the pool, happy to find the water still teeming with prey. He spends a while there in the pool l until deciding to go about the task of re-scenting his territory.

The third day of being back in his new territory is when Phichit decides to make an appearance, his scent both light with hope with a tinge of regret. Yuuri spends the entire time of his visit on his tree limb growling and baring his teeth, twitching his tail back and forth aggravatedly. He makes sure that the _uprigh_ t knows how angry he is. Phichit leaves a little while later when Yuuri doesn’t move, saddened more than when he entered.

The other male is stubborn though, and he returns in the days after that; always sad, always hopeful. Yuuri _wants_ to be angry, this _upright_ hurt him but put him back together and _he doesn’t know how he’s supposed to feel_ about this _upright_ who he started to accept as _friend_ and _pack_.

Yuuri breaks the day Phichit starts crying.

He was on his limb, far away from Phichit as possible because he was _supposed_ to be _angry_ . He hasn’t growled at the male for a while, instead ignoring the other with the only sign of his agitation being his tail. Phichit has been talking quietly since he got there, but now he sits silently and Phichit is _never_ silent. He’s already turning to look at the male curiously, despite his anger, when the smell of salt wafts to his nose. He pauses, taking in Phichit whose shoulders are shaking and he has a hand covering his eyes and Yuuri has never seen the male so _vulnerable_ . He’s making small mewling sounds and it reminds Yuuri of small pups calling for their mother and the scent surrounding them is _sad_ and _remorse_. Phichit looks up at him and there’s wetness falling from his eyes and running down his face, but there’s a small smile on his lips and Yuuri...

Yuuri finds he’s not so angry anymore. He’s tired of the anger, and he realizes some of that anger was also loneliness in another form. He warbles at Phichit and the other freezes, staring at him with wide eyes.

Yuuri sighs quietly and warbles again, the sound low and comforting, rumbling from his chest like a purr. His way of telling the male _, I forgive you_ . It ends on a very small growl, _don’t do it again._

With the way Phichit smiles and his scent clears, he thinks his message must have gotten through.

* * *

Things go back to how it was. He eats, sleeps, hunts when they feed him (and thankful that there’s no more false sleep) and listens to Phichit contentedly as the male talks to him while either cleaning his waste (which Yuuri finds amusing) and filling his pond with prey.

Then a day comes when he meets others of his own kind.

The day it happens Phichit is inside his enclosure and suddenly he raps his fist against the wall where he enters and prey comes from. The door for the prey opens on his command, but nothing comes out. Yuuri, close to the opening from his spot on his warm rock, watches it curiously. There’s little light on other side, but he can see something of a tunnel. He looks to Phichit, who encourages him to go through despite Yuuri’s obvious reluctance. _Is this why the opening is bigger despite the fact that the prey that comes through is so small_ , he wonders.

Phichit rolls his eyes a little and huffs in laughter before leaving through his own opening and doesn’t return, although the smaller opening stays open. Yuuri spends a while staring at it before crawling closer, stopping every few minutes to make sure there wasn’t anything that was going to come out. Finally he’s at the opening and he leans forward to sniff at it some. It’s a square tunnel, with another clear barrier at the top. It’s big enough for him to fit through, and he carefully slips inside as curiosity gets the better of him.

He curses Phichit when the opening behind him closes and suddenly he’s trapped. He growls, letting out an anxious sound before suddenly he hears Phichit’s laughter and the wall opens in front of him. He hurries forward, out of the now too-tight space before his mind registers _bad idea_ and the opening closes behind him. He jumps and growls, going back to scrape his talons against the now-closed opening. He turns to face his new surroundings, which is almost a replica of his old home and new territory. Plants and foliage everywhere, grass and dirt beneath his hands and feet. He hears water in the distance and smells small prey rustling in the leaves.

Lifting his head, he also scents _others_. He’s not alone.

* * *

Phichit watches excitedly as Yuuri moves from the doorway to his enclosure and out into the the communal enclosure, where they let the Drakes socialize. The species was known for mostly being loners, although they enjoy the company of others of their kind every now and then.

The communal enclosure is a large, square space, the walls coming up around chest high with a tempered glass dome ceiling. It sits in a room between the other Drake’s enclosures, making it easier for them to go between without much stress. The top of the tunnel between the enclosures have a tempered glass door as well that’s big enough to put food in and, when necessary, sedate and pull a Drake out. It’s low enough that they can step over it easily, too, thanks to the Drake’s (generally) thin frames. Altogether, there were about nine enclosures that circled the communal one.

“How do you think he’ll do with Yuuko and Takeshi? Are you sure putting him in with both is wise”

Phichit turns to his fellow biologist, a thin italian woman named Sarah, and smiles reassuringly. “I think they’ll get along fine! She’s a mated female and Takeshi an adult Alpha. While Yuuri, even if he’s on the cusp of maturing, is still a juvenile with omega traits. Takeshi has no reason to fear Yuuri around his mate. Not to mention, we’ve made sure to expose the two to his scent beforehand and I’m sure Yuuri has scented them at least a little on my clothes. So long as we keep a close watch, we have nothing to worry about!”

Standing on a raised dias, they turn back to the enclosure as Yuuri begins to cautiously inspect the new territory, circling away from where Yuuko (a female with dark hair that trails halfway down her spine and tawny colored scales) and her mate Takeshi (features dark like Yuuri only with scales similar to Yuuko’s) lay about on one of the large rocks in front of a large pool of water..

Phichit takes in a breath when first Takeshi and then Yuuko catch Yuuri’s scent as the younger male moves closer to where they are, their forms tensing; Takeshi covers Yuuko’s back with his body and growls and Phichit thinks briefly, _maybe this_ was _a bad idea_.

But then Yuuko lets out a small, curious noise that rises up like a call. When she gets no answer, she tries again and this time he watches as Yuuri answers her back and cautiously comes out from the brush.

Phichit bites his lip excitedly as Yuuri continues to get closer, his form low to the ground in a submissive gesture to the growling alpha who never takes his eyes off the juvenile male. He makes his way past the rock and to the large pond behind the two, never fully exposing his back. Yuuri drinks, eyes never leaving the two, before pulling himself onto the bank some and laying down.

Sarah and Phichit wait, although not for long. Yuuri and Yuuko start vocalizing to each other, both curious, before suddenly Yuuko is making her way to Yuuri, pulling herself from beneath her mate (Takeshi nips at her, trying to make her stay, and Phichit hears Sarah snigger as the female nips him back before laving the small ‘wound’ with her tongue). She cautiously approaches Yuuri, who keeps still, holding a defensive posture but also submissive. She leans in and scents the other, who scents her back, and then suddenly Yuuko rubs her scaled cheeks against Yuuri’s own, nipping at his ears and warbling encouragingly in the way that Drakes do as Takeshi, spurred by his mate’s approval, also approaches (although he never fails to show who the dominant between the three Drakes are).

Phichit and Sarah jump for joy at the sight, laughing and trying not to be too loud. Phichit can’t wait to show Ciao Ciao the recordings and report back to Mrs. Katsuki that Yuuri now not only has a home, but a friends as well.

As Phichit watches the Drakes interact and get to know each other more (Takeshi being something of a bully even as Yuuko tries to get Yuuri to play), he thinks to himself,

_It can’t get better than this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's a wrap! Chapter 3 we'll finally get Victor's POV!  
> Also, I'm not a doctor, that's why the scene with his surgery and everything is more or less vague. Because I'm lazy ( eh he..)  
> As always, leave me a comment, telling me what you think! I love hearing from you!


	3. A diva, a trip, and love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Where’s your sense of adventure? Maybe we’ll meet someone new!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope everyone's holiday was wonderful and amazing like all of you!  
> I swoon everytime I get a new kudo or comment or just anything. The fact all of you enjoy this story just inspires me to continue writing!  
>  **A note about their speech**  
>  The human characters don't understand what Drake's are saying; to them, its all sounds. As biologists who spend most of their working hours around them, they can get an idea as to what's going on in a situation or what certain sounds mean.  
> Depending on the POV, speech that is **NOT** native to the being whose POV is being shown will be in italics.  
> If there is any confusion, please let me know!  
> As always, big thanks to my wonderful beta!  
> Without furthur ado, I give you Chapter 3!

_ It can’t get better than this,  _ Victor thinks to himself, content.

He’s in Yakov’s office, stretched out on the white, soft thing that they call a  _ couch _ . His personal enclosure has long been cleaned (the original reason he was put here), but Victor was too comfortable and absolutely refused to listen when Yakov told him it was time to go (the old man had even tried to physically lift Victor off the couch, but he dug his claws in and yowled until Yakov put him back down with an exasperated grunt).

Victor can admit that he’s probably spoiled. Yakov and his female mate, Lillia, found Victor as just a tiny, abandoned pup and took him into their home. He became the pup they never had (not that they hadn’t tried. He remembers Lillia sitting alone, breaking down where none could see her, her scent bitter and burnt with loss). He’s still treated like the couple’s own pup years later, even if he’s no longer the little pup that ran around the house (and over his adoptive human parents) but an adult, fully presented Drake.

He peeks open an eye as someone knocks on the door, drawing his limbs up as the door opens. Despite being raised by a few of these taller creatures, he knows to always be prepared around them.

Of course, then  _ Chris  _ walks in and Victor is up for a whole other reason, chirping happily as the male greets him with a cheery, “ _ Mon ami, _ there you are!” before turning to Yakov. “Yakov, wonderful to see you! I got your message, about the expo.”

Yakov motions for Chris to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk. Victor was already trying to climb the taller male (he envies Yuri sometimes, still being small and able to climb over the humans whenever he wants; he’s too tall and heavy now). Sitting, Victor manages to crawl into the blond human’s lap, his tail draping down onto the floor. He’s still too tall, and in order to sit comfortably he has to partially drape himself over the man’s shoulders. Chris laughs the whole time, wincing everytime one of Victor’s claws or limbs dig into a particularly painful spot. Yakov just grunts out a fond, “Spoiled.”

He lets out a content purr as Chris runs a hand over his scales. Chris is also one of the only humans he’ll let touch him like this. Chris helped take over his care once he had to be moved to the center; Yakov apparently brought him in from a place called  _ Switzerland.  _ The first time they’d met Victor bit the man’s fingers, but then the blond human proceeded to laugh and call him, “ _ feisty, _ ” and then had the gall to pinch at the young Drake’s cheek. They’d been best friends ever since.

Victor is pulled from his memory by Yakov speaking. “An informative Expo is being set up at the Center of Research and Biology in Detroit. Their head biologists Celestino Cialdini and his second, Phichit Chulanont, have been put in charge of the event.”

“Oh, I know Phichit! We’ve met at various events in the past. He and his parents are well known in the field.”

Yakov nods, “Yes, and they’ve been tasked to see that the expo is set up and runs smoothly. Which is why I’ve asked you here. We’ve been invited to go and speak.”

“Oh! What a good idea! I take it you’re planning on bringing Victor, here?” Chris pats Victor on his flank, over the patch of blue scales there (Chris says they look like  _ opals,  _ whatever those are). Said Drake lifts his head at the sound of his name.

“Yes. He and Yuri would make excellent examples on how Drakes form bonds, especially with others not of their own species as well as a focus on their intelligence.” Victor preens a little, always receptive to compliments because  _ he knows he’s smart, yes, thank you Yakov. _

Chris chuckles at what he can see of Victor’s display as he asks, “How long are we planning to be in the states?”

“I was planning on a week at the most. I’ve also spoken with Celestino about possibly trying to bond Victor with one of theirs. He’s shown no interest in any of the others here since he came into adulthood.” Victor ignores the annoyed look that Yakov sends him, as he’s no longer listening.

Over the significant time that Victor has lived with Yakov and Lillia, he’s soaked in their language like moss and can mostly understand what they say. The last year or so, ever since Victor presented, Yakov had constantly brought up bonding, but Victor had no interest in the practice at all. No Drake that he had met inspired the instincts Yakov hoped to provoke. He gets along with the others here, not to mention he has Chris, Yakov, Lillia and Yuri. Does he really need to bond with anyone else?

Yakov and Chris talk some more but Victor has long since tuned them out, enjoying the warmth coming from his human friend. He grooms Chris, lifting the hair and cleaning the skin behind the man’s ear with his tongue (“Victor,  _ really _ ?”). Suddenly, Chris is standing up which makes Victor grumble his displeasure and before he knows it the tall male is slipping Victor’s harness over his head and  _ when did he get that! _

His cruel, no longer best friend is laughing at him now as he leads the moody Drake out of the room and down the hallway, away from the comfort of his couch (because it’s  _ his,  _ Lillia bought it for  _ him _ ) and to his enclosure. Chris rubs his head and scratches behind his ear the way he likes it in apology right outside the entrance to his personal territory. “You are such a diva,  _ mon ami _ , I know you love your space. Best enjoy it while you can,  _ oui? _ We’ll be heading out before you know it!”

Victor nips at the man’s hand as he pulls it away, because he  _ is not a diva, you’re the worst best friend _ , but cooperates when the man takes the harness off. He leans up to rub his cheek against the other male’s because he’s not really mad. Chris gives a chuckle and one more pat before pushing him through the door to his enclosure, the door clicking shut and locking behind him.

As soon as he’s inside, he wishes Chris wouldn’t have put him back.

“ _ Where _ have you been, Victor! Ugh, you stink, like Yakov. Why is it they clean and you get to lounge on that stupid human  _ thing _ and Mila takes me and forces me into a bath of all things and _ are you even listening to me?!” _

_ No,  _ Victor thinks to himself, but of course he doesn’t tell the younger Drake that as he tries to tune out the screeching the younger makes, moving to lay across one of the logs in the enclosure that he shares with Yuri (but it was his first). He’s helped take care of the younger Drake since he was only little more than a pup, found hurt and half-starved out  _ there. _ He comes off as an angry little thing, and it is mostly annoying, but he knows Yuri has a softer side.

Which isn’t out right now as the younger crawls over Victor’s back where the elder lays, growling in annoyance as he nips at Victor’s ears. “It’s not fair.”

Victor lets out a small sigh, “Perhaps if you behaved better, you would get to do the things I do more. All good things come with patience, Yurochka.” The younger grumbles, settling down on top of Victor’s back. It’s quiet for a few minutes before Yuri speaks up again.

“What took you so long, anyway? They finished cleaning forever ago.”

“Chris came to Yakov’s room. Apparently we’re going on a trip, I think. Won’t that be exciting!”

It’s then that a long, mournful whine echoes down the hall.

“Anything to get away from Georgi’s whining over that female. It’s been  _ weeks _ .”

Victor couldn’t help but agree.

* * *

“Do you know what’s going on, Yuuko?”

Yuuko crawls up next to Yuuri from his spot on top of their rock in the shared territory, rubbing against his side before carefully laying down. “Apparently there’s going to be a big event soon, with lots of the humans coming to the shelter.”

Yuuri feels anxiety curl in his stomach at the thought of  _ more _ humans, as Yuuko calls them. Already there were more keepers around, running around like mice and their scents bitter like Yuuri’s is now with anxiety as they work. Yuuko must pick up on it, because she lets out a soothing croon and half crawls on top of Yuuri, forcing his head down and grooming him. Yuuri only protests a little, because in the end it helps calm him down. Yuuko reminds him of a protective, older sibling and is surprisingly thankful for that (especially when he met the other Drakes in the shelter, feeling like an outsider in the territory that has been theirs since before he arrived).

“Don’t work yourself up.” Takeshi comes up to them then, leaning in to rub cheeks with Yuuko before decidedly laying himself across the two of them, Yuuri taking most of his bulk with an  _ oof  _ With Yuuko being  _ gravid _ from their last cycle together, Takeshi is always careful not to put too much weight on her. “They’ll be out there and we’ll be in here, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Yuuri wants to argue because there’s  _ always something to worry about,  _ but he knows that it’s futile. So he lays there instead, letting Yuuko groom him as Takeshi covers them protectively. He’s come to enjoy the closeness of the two. It reminds him that he’s not alone, that he has  _ pack _ (Phichit included). He’s glad for their company, especially in the weeks before and after he’d gone through his first mating cycle. It had been a horrible experience; the heat in his belly, the tightness of his skin and scales and the  _ ache _ . The two helped soothe his irritation before it happened and then helped to soothe the anxiety after (he’d been afraid that after he became an adult that they wouldn’t want him around anymore; he’d heard of it happening before).

He was almost asleep, purring happily at Yuuko’s attentions when the female stops suddenly and asks, “Yuuri, do you think you’ll take a mate?” Yuuri chokes on air as Takeshi lets out an amused chirrup.

“M-mate? Yuuko, I-I don’t know...”

The older female frowns down at him. It worries her how shy and anxious the younger Drake can be and now, pregnant as she is, it simply makes her protective side that much stronger. “A mate would be good for you, I think. Someone just for you, like how Takeshi is just for me.”

The younger male grumbles out a  _ maybe _ before shimmying from beneath them and heading back to where the entrance to his personal territory sits. Yuuko churrs sadly as the other goes, laying her head down on her claws. “I worry for him.”

Takeshi curls close and leans in, nuzzling against her neck and inhaling her soft scent. “He’ll be alright, you’ll see. Besides, he’s got us and everyone else to look after him.”

She bumps her forehead against her mate’s before looking back to where Yuuri had disappeared. “I hope you’re right.”

* * *

Victor both loves and hates traveling.

He loves seeing all the new sights, the many different humans, even the many scents don’t bother him as much. When he’s allowed, Chris puts him in a special fur that covers his body and a harness that has a special patch that he knows says  _ don’t touch  _ (as nice as Victor is, he has to be able to trust a human before he lets them touch him). Chris takes him to gatherings called  _ seminars _ or  _ meet and greets _ where humans coo at him, at  _ how cute _ or  _ how cool _ he is and Victor just soaks it all up. Chris uses his box called a  _ phone _ and takes  _ pictures _ of him, tells him that he’s popular with humans he’s never even met on this thing called  _ instagram _ . It’s all so exciting!

The worst part about it all, though?

Being crated, left in the bottom of those flying things that Chris calls a  _ plane _ in the dark. The air is stale, stagnant, and makes him want to sneeze. Sometimes he wishes they’d put him to sleep like they do Yuri(if they keep him awake he yowls and complains during the whole trip and then by the time they arrive and the humans unload them he’s a hissing, spitting mess which scares the handlers). Sometimes the humans are careless and jostle the crate he’s in, causing him to bump against the sides painfully, making him growl.

This time is no different. They put Yuri to sleep, Victor sneezes more than he’d like and ends up curling around himself in the corner of the crate the whole trip. Yuri wakes up only a short time before they arrive, so he’s calmer than he would be if he’d been awake the whole time.

They unload them and bring them to Yakov and Chris, who lead the handlers outside to the metal beast they call a  _ truck _ and loads them into the back, tying their crates down. Victor admires the new place through the slots of his crate, at their enormous shelters and the vast amounts of humans walking outside the paths to the side of the metals beasts. He takes in the various scents, even the less pleasant smell of oil, gas and smog.

Yuri, of course, complains the whole way to their destination.

* * *

Chris opens their crates when they finally arrive, the scent of other Drakes mingling with that of humans. The human slips the harness over Victor’s head and hands the cord attached to it over to Yakov before getting Yuri out. The growling Drake quietens some when he sees Chris, and only puts up a little fuss as the larger male puts the harness on. Victor watches as Yuri climbs up Chris’ body and settles across his shoulders, feet digging into the man’s side as his tail whips around the man’s waist. The younger’s silver-black scales glint in the sunlight from his perch ( _ like a tiger’s stripes, _ Chris had once said). It makes Victor jealous, because he wishes he could still climb over the man like that,  _ he was his best friend _ . He looks up at Yakov contemplatively, but the older simply meets his gaze and gives him a gruff, “Don’t even think about it, Vitya” before leading their little pack inside.

Yakov knows him too well.

* * *

Chris takes Victor’s leash from Yakov as the Drake circles around them, restless and wanting to explore. They hang back a little as the older man meets with Celestino, who’d come to greet them.

“Yakov Feltsman! Good to see you and very glad you could make it.”

“Thank you, Celestino, we’re happy to have gotten the invite.” They shake hands before Yakov steps aside. “This is Christophe Giacometti, public speaker, animal behaviorist and fellow biologist.” Chris waves a little as Yakov continues, “Then you have Victor, and the juvenile is Yuri.”

Celestino lets out a laugh as Yuri hisses and nips at Victor, who was also attempting to climb Chris. The Swiss man just grimaces through it good-naturedly, used to their antics. “Wow! Look at them! They must trust you a lot to let you handle them like that.”

Chris chuckles and pats Victor on his head, mussing the silver locks and earning a nip for the action. “ _ Oui, monsieur.  _ Yakov and I have known the two since they were but tiny  _ bébés _ . Yakov and his wife Lillia actually rehabilitated Victor at home until he was closing in on his juvenile years.”

Celestino whistles, “Amazing!”

“It’s why he’s so spoiled.” Chris and Celestino share a laugh at Yakov’s statement before the Italian man waves them forward.

“Come, lets get everything settled. If you gentleman would follow me!” Encouraging Victor to follow, the group makes their way into the Center. They turn down a few hallways before approaching a door with a card lock. He swipes his name card and it clicks with a  _ beep. _ “I’ll get the two of you temporary cards so that way you can come and go as needed while you’re here.”

They enter into the space where the communal enclosure sits, the space busy as workers get it ready for the event. He points to the left side of the large communal enclosure, “If you go that way, we’ve prepared an enclosure for Victor and Yuri, as our communal one is currently out of commission right now to get it ready for the expo. It should have their names on it.” 

Chris gives the man a hearty, “ _ Merci! _ ” and takes the outstretched keycard before leading the two Drakes toward the personal enclosures as Yakov and Celestino make their way down to the communal one, talking about their expectations for the event happening in the next few days.

* * *

Yuri shakes himself off as the door shuts behind them and immediately wrinkles his nose. “Are they sure this is supposed to be ours? It stinks.”

Victor wonders the same thing, except the scent that fills the area isn’t unpleasant. He draws it into his lungs, a scent fresh like rain with touches of salt and sandalwood. “Who knows? I guess we’ll just have to find out!” Victor moves forward, going between looking around and scenting the dirt floor. Yuri sticks close to him, growling as he moves.

“This is stupid, we should just stay back at the opening.”

Victor sniggers at the younger, “Yurochka, are you scared? Where’s your sense of adventure? Maybe we’ll meet someone new!” The younger growls and bites at his tail; Victor smacks him with it in retaliation, earning a disgruntled squawk from the other as Victor turns back to the rest of the territory.

He’s inspecting one of the plants when he sees a flash of blue-black scales rustling through the foliage farther ahead. He shoots forward, eager to follow,  _ eager to chase, h _ is instincts tell him as Yuri growls after him.

* * *

“Chris! It’s good to see you again!” Chris looks over and smiles as Phichit comes up and stands beside the other.

“ _ Oui _ , it sure has been a while, hasn’t it? How have you been?”

Phichit watches with Chris as workers do minor renovations inside and around the communal enclosure, Celestino and Yakov talking animatedly a little farther away. “Oh, you know. Cleaning, researching, the norm. How about you?! We were excited to hear that both you and Yakov would be coming to the event.”

“Of course! We would never miss the chance to teach, perhaps earn a few more sponsors. Not to mention, Victor likes the attention.”

They chuckle and Phichit looks around. “Speaking of which, where is Victor? I was looking forward to seeing him again.” Phichit had met Victor a couple times before at other Drake-centric events and naturally follows the instagram that Chris had set up for the Drake (it helped with exposure, awareness, and brought people to events like these).

“Oh! I put him and Yuri into the enclosure that was prepared for them.”

He watches as Phichit freezes, looking intensely (and a bit worried) at Chris has he says, “Yuri?”

Chris frowns. “Ah, yes, Yuri. He’s another Drake that we’ve rehabilitated. He’s attached to Victor, and does really well so long as he’s around.” Chris watches Phichit visibly deflate, letting out a small laugh.

“Whew, you scared me there! I thought you’d said you put him in Yuuri’s enclosure.” Chris’ frowns deepens and Phichit explains, “Almost a year ago Ciao Ciao and I traveled to Japan to pick up a rescued Drake. The family that found him named him Yuuri.”

“What a coincidence!”

They’re quiet a moment before Chris asks, “His name wouldn’t happen to have two ‘U’s in it, would it?”

Phichit turns his head slowly to look at him. “...it does.”

“...damn.”

* * *

Victor crawls onto a rock and looks out to the front of the enclosure and suddenly blue eyes meet brown and Victor feels like time stops. The Drake in front of him is long and lean, scales gleaming blue-black in the light from above them. Dark hair frames a round, delicate face and wary eyes, a low growl rumbling between them but Victor pays it no attention because suddenly he is smitten with the gorgeous creature before him. He feels his scales lift,  _ to impress _ , to  _ encourage _ , and a soft coo forces its way from his throat.

Victor realizes he forgot about Yuri because suddenly the juvenile is crawling over and around him, grumbling angrily and then suddenly the other Drake is hissing, eyes focused on Yuri now before hurrying forward and disappearing into the pool.

Yuri watches dumbfounded as Victor is suddenly moving around the edge of the pool, making slightly distressed noises. He’s never seen the elder act like this, and he growls as he comes up next to him.

“Victor, you’re going to drown too if you don’t get your head out of the water.” Victor pulls his head up and makes a distressed sound, wondering why the other  _ hasn’t come up _ and he shoves his face back into the water.

Yuri rolls his eyes and goes to nip at the other when suddenly Victor is rearing back and letting out a high pitched yelp, startling Yuri, as this new Drake is suddenly out of the water. There’s the flash of teeth and the sudden banging of the enclosure door opening. The bitter scents of human worry and fear permeate through the space but this new Drake  _ attacked _ Victor and while the other is annoying he’s also  _ pack _ and everything is suddenly overwhelming and Yuri can’t help it.

He attacks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, who left that cliffhanger there! Definitely wasn't me *sweats nervously*  
> Really though, every story has to have at _least_ one, right? Right??  
> Comments are always appreciated! I love hearing what you think!


	4. The fight (and a discovery)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Phichit whines himself, anxious and worried, because what if Yuuri gets hurt…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> Thanks again for your comments and kudos and just reading, it means a lot to me!  
> I'm sorry this chapter is a bit later than the others, but I got a little bit of writers block. It's also MUCH shorter than the others, but I wanted to give you guys something!  
> I'm also sorry to say that the next chapter will probably be later than this one due to a loss in my family.  
> I hope you enjoy!

In hindsight, it hadn’t been a good idea to run like he did. The door had opened, but instead of Phichit he got the distinct scent of  _ alpha _ and moved as quickly and quietly as he could  _ away _ , anxiety like a rock in his stomach.

He hadn’t been quiet enough and instead lets himself be cornered against the clear barrier, the other male cutting an imposing figure atop  _ his  _ rock in  _ his  _ territory and he hisses his displeasure. Then there’s  _ another _ , so Yuuri hurries into his pond because perhaps he can stay under and they’ll  _ leave _ when he doesn’t show.

Except the infuriating alpha  _ isn’t leaving _ , instead shoving his head beneath the water repeatedly and Yuuri knows that if he doesn’t do  _ something _ then the other isn’t going to back away. So Yuuri forces the anxiety away, ignoring his rolling stomach, and swims up as fast as he can (which is  _ fast _ , the other male barely has time to back away) and snapping his teeth in warning, forcing the other away.

He barely sees the attack coming.

The only warning he gets is the edgy scent of  _ anger _ with the bitter notes of  _ scared _ before the smaller Drake is lunging forward, lashing out with sharpened claws. They catch Yuuri on his shoulder and make him hiss in pain and he  _ reacts _ , using his size against the other and then it’s a roll of limbs, claws scratching and teeth snapping until Yuuri has the other pinned beneath him. The younger growls and goes to try to move and Yuuri snaps at him, close to his throat and it’s then the other seems to realize that he’s lost.

Breathing heavily, Yuuri takes a moment to finally get a look at the other Drake and is surprised to see he’s still a ways to being an adult, his scent still soft like a pup except with a bitter aftertaste. Said pup is looking up at him with a scowl on his face, like he knows what Yuuri is thinking and Yuuri thinks he should be angry because this youngling had the gall to attack him in his own territory. This knowledge has the opposite effect, however.

_ He’s young _ , his scent soft but laced with the lingering notes of anger and fear and Yuuri knows then he was simply a pup trying to protect his kin. It’s endearing, and so to show this young one whose face is still set in a scowl (which contrasts with his submissive posture) that he’s not angry he licks a stripe up the side of his face before carefully moving off of him.

* * *

Phichit thought for sure they’d be too late. To hear that Yuuri was enclosed with not one but  _ two  _ strange Drakes in his territory had a ball of lead settling heavy in his stomach, heart thundering in his chest and in his ears. He races to the enclosure, Chris hot on his heels, and throws open the door just in time to see the juvenile lunge at Yuuri.

Phichit  _ almost _ cries.

It’s as the two Drakes start rolling, the enclosure filled with their growls and the sound of their fighting, that Phichit realizes that in their haste they forgot to grab protective gear, to possibly pull the Drakes away from each other (still very risky, even with gear) and he feels useless as both he and Chris hover warily over the fighting Drakes. Even Victor, a Drake, doesn’t know what to do as he, too, moves around the too, calling to them, possibly trying to get them to stop. Phichit whines himself, anxious and worried, because  _ what if Yuuri gets hurt _ …

...but then, as quick as it started, it’s over.

Suddenly Yuuri is towering over the smaller Drake and Phichit watches relieved, as the younger submits to the older. He lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding before choking on a laugh as suddenly Yuuri licks a wet stripe up the side of Yuri’s face before moving toward his tree, the younger letting out an indignant squawk at the action.

He pats Chris on the back, who is in a similar state as he is. “That... could have ended badly.” Chris gives him an apologetic look, his shoulders slumped.

“ _ Oui _ , I am very lucky that it didn’t. I’m probably already in for a lecture from Yakov.”

“At least it was an honest mistake!”

The two share a shaky laugh and Phichit steps out of the enclosure to grab the pair of thick industrial gloves to help Chris with the two Drakes (although really, Phichit doesn’t think the man will need his help from what he’s heard). When he steps back in, Chris has already got the smaller Drake pinned, almost like how a handler pins an alligator; Yuri growls at him the whole time, but doesn’t resist and Phichit knows the man is lucky that Yuri trusts him enough to even let him attempt the maneuver. He doesn’t see Victor near the man, but he realizes a moment later where the alpha male went when he hears a distinct hiss.

What he sees makes him giggle.

Yuuri is on his limb, glaring down at the alpha who is currently trying to climb onto the limb with him. Victor is unfazed by Yuuri’s warning, cooing up at the other male as he tries once again to join Yuuri on the branch. This time Yuuri swipes at him, and Phichit can’t help chuckling again as Victor backs away with a pout.

Chris chuckles from where he’s holding Yuri. “It looks like someone has a crush,  _ oui _ ?”

* * *

After the fight was decisively finished, Victor had taken a moment to check on a very agitated Yuri before once again following after the other male, who’d taken off for the tree limb on the other side of his territory (he’s pretty sure Yuri said something to him, “ _ Victor, you idiot what are you- get back here!” _ but he hadn’t been listening, to focused on the movements of the enticing male).

“I said  _ no!” _

Victor can’t help the frustrated whine that builds in his throat as the other (attractive) male swipes at him yet again. He wants to do is to thank him for not tearing his Yuri to shreds, to rub his cheek against the other’s and feel his scales slide against Victor’s own (does he not see Victor is  _ preening for him _ , his scales lifted and glistening).

Victor is nothing if not stubborn.

“Please, I only want to talk! How did you manage to stay underwater for so long? And the way you pinned Yuri so quickly! I thought my heart would beat out of my chest!”

“ _ Hey _ ! Whose side are you on anyway?! Asshole, don’t ignore me!” (Victor does, of course.)

The other male lets out a frustrated growl and flexes his claws instead of going in for another swipe (for which Victor is very thankful), and Victor moves a little closer. “Thank you, for not hurting Yuri.”

The other male gives him a confused look before glancing over to the juvenile currently being held by Chris. The confusion seems to clear into understanding as he says, “Of course I wouldn’t hurt him. He’s still a pup, acting on his instincts.”

“I am  _ not _ a pup!”

Yuuri glances behind him again, but Victor ignores the indignant outburst from the younger male as he scoots a little closer, letting out a soft purr. He breathes in deep, taking in the other’s fresh scent. “Still, I want to show my appreciation. Maybe we can get to know each other better?” Yuuri gives him an odd look and scoots away from him, making Victor pout again.

“ _Victor_ ,  _ come on, it’s time to go.” _

Victor’s ear twitches at the sound of Chris’ voice and he looks back. Yuri is gone, taken by the tanned one he thinks, and Chris is slowly approaching him, gloves covering his hands and his harness in one. His ears flatten in displeasure, because he  _ doesn’t want to leave, doesn’t Chris see what he’s doing _ but when he looks back the other male is gone.

He whips his head around to see a flash of scales disappearing into what appears to be the other Drake’s den, but when he moves to follow suddenly Chris is  _ pinning him _ of all things and before he knows it himself he’s growling and trying to get away because his  _ ex best friend  _ is  _ interfering _ but Chris presses his weight down and pins his legs and he  _ just wants to get to know the omega _ .

Chris slips the harness over his head as the human says to him, “ _ Come Victor, best we leave your amour alone for a while, hm? Be good, perhaps you’ll see each other again! You’d like that, non?”  _ Victor hates it, but the other has a point; with everything that’s happened, it could be why his new acquaintance is so reluctant to socialize, but  _ he doesn’t want to leave.. _

While Victor knows he’s a force to be reckoned with and that Chris would stand exactly no chance against Victor by himself if he decided to push the point and stay, Victor reluctantly lets Chris lead him out of the other Drake’s territory. He gives a longing look at the den the other Drake disappeared into before it’s out of sight completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I look forward to your comments! Throw 'em at me, I can take 'em!


	5. An Assembly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Are there different kinds of Drakes?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!  
> I'm always blown away to see people subscribing, giving kudos and leaving a comment! You guys keep me going.  
> I know its a while since I last posted and I would like to thank all of you for your patience and understanding. I had to travel out of state for a funeral and then everything got a head of me. But I will promise that this fic will never be abandoned! I think it will be safe to say I'll post every one - two weeks.  
> Big thanks as always to my beta, who who also inspired the ending of this chapter.   
> Enjoy!

Chris takes a moment to get a drink before turning back to the assembly. The expo so far has been a hit, and it makes him happy to see the mix of old and young professionals in front of him. He glances back at Victor, where the Drake is laid out on a platform next to him, Yuri on the elder’s back, both of them secured. He watches as Victor lets out a small huff and Chris smiles fondly; the elder Drake has been moody since they’d had to remove him from Yuuri’s cage (Chris winces internally thinking of the lecture he’d gotten from Yakov after that little stunt). 

“So is Victor, like, your pet?”

Chris chuckles a little bit at the younger girl’s question, “No, Victor is not my pet.” He addresses the assembly as he continues, “Drakes, like many other wild creatures, are not meant to be pets. They have instincts that we are still studying and learning. Victor was raised from from a very young age by Yakov and his wife, who found him near death. I’ve known Victor for several years, and it took me quite a bit of time to build up enough trust between us to be able to do what I do today.”

There’s a thud to his right and laughter goes out along the crowd as Chris looks over to see an annoyed looking Yuri climb back onto the platform next to a now sitting Victor, who looks somewhat smug. Chris shakes his head at the two’s antics before turning back to the crowd.

“Trust is very important to Drakes and the bonds they make not only with each other, but the few humans that they let close. While Drakes are generally solitary, they do tend to stay in a familial group within a territory, and sometimes that group can consist of Drakes that aren’t blood related. Trust is necessary to keep the peace, you could say. It can take a while for Drakes to accept strangers, Drake or otherwise, into their group.”

A man towards the back of the group (approximately 70 people, something Chris is very proud of) raises his hand before asking, “Is Victor the only Drake you work with?”

Chris shakes his head, “Victor is not the only Drake I work with; I’ve worked with Yuri here since he was brought in several years ago and I work with a few others at the Center in Russia. We have to be careful not to work with too many at once. Drakes have sensitive senses, and they can get agitated if you bring a certain scent into their territory.”

“Are there different kinds of Drakes?”

Chris chuckles and motions to the side as Phichit comes forward excitedly. “I think I’ll let my colleague, Phichit, answer that one.”

Phichit turns his mic on before addressing the crowd. “Hello! I’m Phichit Chulanont, and I work here at the center we’re currently in. The answer to your question is yes, there are! Well, to an extent. Drakes differ in the fact that their scale patterns and colors are different from Drake to Drake, although blood relatives will look more similar to one another. Depending on the region, some Drakes will have more hair; like Victor and Yuri here.” Phichit turns and smiles at the Drake, who turns his head at the sound of his name before pushing away an annoyed Yuri.

“Their hair not only covers their head, but trails down their spine. They are also covered with fine hairs on areas not covered by scales and it’s been documented that their body temperature can rise during the colder months.” Phichit steps up to a podium where a laptop and a projector had been set up before the seminar and starts it up, bringing up a prepared slideshow of close-up pictures that have been taken for study. It gets an awed reaction from the crowd, mostly  _ oohs _ and  _ aahs _ from the younger members of the audience.

Phichit continues his lecture as he goes through the slideshow, showing off different Drakes from several centers. “Most of the Drakes we get here have either been injured, captured, or were young and believed to be abandoned by their parents. We try to release those that we can, but sometimes it’s not possible. Those that are unable to be released stay with us and help us learn more about this interesting species. All of the ones that we’ve studied are native to land, but there are those that are native, or mostly native, to water. We haven’t been able to really study those because they’re very hard to find, and most that we’ve seen were already deceased.” He pauses for effect, grinning excitedly as he says, “Until now.”

Some murmurs go up among those assembled as Phichit brings up a picture of Yuuri. “About seven months ago, fellow Biologist Celestino and I took a trip to Japan because a family had found a Drake tangled up in a net on the beach near their home. Upon closer inspection, it was found that Yuuri has a pair of gills behind his ears, webbed fingers and toes as well as longer feet. You could say he’s our resident merman!”

Phichit giggles a little as some of the youngers gasp, although there is some excitement from some of the adults as well. “Chris wasn’t kidding about Drakes relying on trust, either. It took me months to get Yuuri to trust me enough to even approach me, and I even lost it for a time. Drakes are highly intelligent and have emotions of their own. Never forget that. Going on...”

Phichit pulls up a video and leaves it paused as he continues, “We were very lucky to have gotten Yuuri and to be able to study a Drake that is able to tread water like he is. Most Drakes can swim, to a degree, but not as well as Yuuri, who is also able to stay underwater for quite a long time. While he’s got a set of gills, they’re small and underdeveloped; mostly for show. Instead, we’ve found that his body packs oxygen into his muscles like a lot of diving mammals do. A very interesting and unique feature, since the only mammalian traits Drakes share are the features and intelligence of humans. He’s a very capable swimmer, and I’ve got a video here.  With some coaxing, and again trust comes into play here, we were able to take Yuuri somewhere with a larger pool to get a good measure on how fast he can swim.”

Phichit plays the video, which shows a large pool situated in the middle of an otherwise bare room. “This was taken in another part of the facility. The pool is freshwater, and was made to study a Drake’s ability to swim. As you can see, it came in handy when we got Yuuri. This was also taken with the help of Celestino and another biologist, Sara Crispino.”

_ The video shows Phicht opening the door to what looks like a large kennel. Moments later, a hesitant Yuuri crawls out, slightly jumpy as he looks around the new area. Phichit coos, “Come on Yuuri, it’s alright! Come look where I’ve brought you.”  Phichit comes around the camera, wearing a diving suit. He looks at the camera, “The date is November 15, 2018, test one with Subject Yuuri in the Facility Pool. The time is 12:15 p.m.” _

_ He turns back to the Drake who has crawled out of the kennel completely and is looking at Phichit curiously. Phichit carefully walks to the pool, the one holding the camera following. Phichit sits down at the edge of the pool and runs his hands over the water. Yuuri chitters at the humans, his ears twitching forward curiously as he moves forward. _

Back in the real world, Phichit chuckles as he watches as Yuuri chitters once more on screen, this time excitedly, before driving into the pool. He giggles again as he sees Victor’s head whip around suddenly, probably at the sounds Yuuri is making from the video. The people behind him gasp and talk excitedly, especially the kids. There’s more than one  _ “that’s so cool!”  _ and it makes Phichit happy to see and hear them getting as excited about Drakes (and Yuuri) as he is, watching as the Yuuri on screen swims expertly around the pool. He looks (almost) like a merman doing so. A few seconds later Yuuri comes back up and starts chittering and cooing happily towards the on-screen Phichit (he likes to think that Yuuri is thanking him).

Then suddenly there’s cooing that’s not coming from the Yuuri on video and Phichit looks over to find Victor, sitting on his haunches, calling out for the Drake that isn’t even there and looking intently at the Yuuri on screen. It makes a little part of Phichit’s heart melt at the sight. The display has also gotten the attention of the crowd, if the little  _ awws _ he hears are anything to go by. Then Yuri nips at the elder Drake’s leg as the video comes to an end and the spell is broken, Victor letting out a huff and laying back down, purposefully on top of the younger Drake if the sudden growls are anything to go by.

Turning back to the crowd to finish the seminar, Phichit shares a brief look with Chris and knows that the blond male has the same idea as he does.

* * *

After the assembly, Phichit stands by the door and sees the group off. It makes him feel good seeing the excited faces and how most tell him what a great experience it was. He shuts the door after the last person and turns to go pack up his laptop and sees Chris struggling with Yuri’s harness. He chuckles, “Need some help?”

Chris chuckles a little, “ _ Non, merci.  _ I’ll get it, somehow or another he got it messed up.” Yuri lets out a huff above him as Chris continues, “I have Victor undone though, if you’ll keep an eye on him.”

Phichit gives him a nod before giving him an “Okay!” (seeing as how the other man has his back turned to him). It only takes a moment to find Victor, who is sitting in front of the podium where Phichit’s laptop rests. Which is highly inconvenient, seeing as how Phichit needs to put it away for the night. He watches as the Drake looks between the laptop and the screen where they projected their media for the assembly.

Victor turns his head and focuses on Phichit as he walks forward, hands up some and stopping with plenty of distance between the two. Phichit asks the Drake softly, “What’cha up to, Victor? Hm? Did you like the pictures?”

Victor chitters at him curiously before looking back up at the laptop, pushing up on his legs to an almost standing position, making Phichit gasp a little, and holds onto the edge of the podium as he stares at the dark screen. He lets out a somewhat mournful sound and taps at it with one long claw, and Phichit’s heart swells with how cute the whole thing is.

Victor drops down as Chris straightens up, Yuri jumping off the podium and grumpily making his way over to Victor. The Swiss man stretches a little, “Mmm, while I love what I do, I enjoy the end of the day!”

Phichit nods, watching the two Drakes as Yuri also looks up at the laptop, eyes narrowed. “Yeah, me too. It’s been a long day, and we’ve still got another two talks tomorrow!” Yuri climbs on top of Victor, the elder hissing in annoyance before leaping up and scrabbling on top of the podium. It’s a funny sight to watch, seeing the younger Drake imitate the elder as he also clicks at the keys with his claws; although the younger becomes increasingly annoyed as nothing really happens besides entering characters into the password space.

“Um..Chris, as adorable as this is, do you mind getting him down?”

Chris, who was also watching with amusement, nods and walks forward, tugging lightly on the harness to get the younger’s attention. “Come on Yuri, time to do. How about some food, hm? I bet you’re hungry after a busy day?”

The young Drake gives the human male an equally annoyed look and turns back to Phichit’s computer, clicking at it some more. He hisses angrily at the machine and it’s like time stops because Phichit knows exactly what’s going to happen. Chris does too, if the suddenly panicked look crosses his face is anything to go by. He reaches out, hoping to grab the young Drake in time.

“Yuri,  _ non!” _

It’s too late though, and in one fell swoop, Phichit’s (highly expensive) laptop crashes to the ground.

Phichit wants to cry.

“My laptop!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Leave a comment! I always enjoy hearing what you think or what you liked most!


	6. Meeting Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“It’s as though the fates heard his prayer...”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> Sorry for the wait, but you know how life gets! It’s been a busy time!  
> I really hope you all enjoy this chapter, and as always thank you for reading and leaving your wonderful comments! You guys keep me going!  
> Many thanks of course to my lovely beta too!

There are humans  _ everywhere _ , standing outside the clear top-barrier of the shared territory. They point and talk quickly amongst themselves, some of the human pups even press their  _ faces _ against the barrier, smearing  _ fluids _ and screaming and Yuuri doesn’t know how much more he can  _ take- _

“Breathe, Yuuri. It’s going to be okay.”

Yuuri whines as Yuuko runs her tongue up the front of his face and over his eye, making Takeshi laugh. Yuuri pulls away from where he’d been laying in front of her and runs a hand over his face. “I know, but the staring and there’s so many of them..” He shudders, as if to prove a point.

Yuuko sighs fondly, “Yuuri, I know it seems.. overwhelming, but Phichit and the others won’t let them in. They can’t hurt us.”

Takeshi chimes in, “Besides, they’re all soft. We could probably easily take them down if they  _ did _ come in and try to hurt us.” Yuuko whacks her mate with her tail and sends him a glare, to which he pouts at. He lets out a huff before looking back at Yuuri, “If it really bothers you, why don’t you head back to your den?”

Yuuri groans and lets out a sigh before saying, “The opening’s closed.” Yuuri gives one more look around the territory, at the humans  _ still staring _ and shakes himself off. “I’m going to go...climb or something.”

Yuuko watches sadly as Yuuri skulks off into the space where their foliage and trees are heaviest, his head down.

* * *

Victor watches as Chris shuts and locks the opening to the large territory behind them, giving him a wink and raising his thumb in what Victor thinks is supposed to be a positive gesture.  _ “Have fun, mon ami!” _

“Not likely, old man.”

Victor looks over at Yuri, who is looking grumpily around yet another new territory to explore. Victor glances back at the opening to see that Chris has disappeared. He looks back to Yuri as the younger grumbles, “What are we doing here, anyway?”

Victor bumps his shoulder against the younger’s, “What’s the matter, Yura? You don’t want to make new friends?” Victor himself is quite excited to start looking around, to see if he can find the dark haired Drake from before. He thinks back to their last encounter; to the Drake’s fierce brown eyes, slight face framed by dark hair and scales, and that  _ scent _ , so fresh and light..

“Ugh, you’ve got that sappy look on your face again. It’s disgusting.”

Victor pouts as Yuri starts reluctantly walking ahead of him, muttering angrily to himself. Victor starts following after the other. They don’t walk for long, taking in the scents of the Drakes that reside there long-term when Victor hears something scratching on the other side of a bush to his left.. Both he and Yuri freeze, eyes trained on the shrubbery, waiting to see if anything comes through.

His curiosity gets the better of him (as it normally does) and Victor edges forward, steps slow and body low to the ground as he pokes his head around the bush, completely ignoring Yuri’s hissed warning..

It’s as though the fates heard his prayer, for there on a log is the male that’s been haunting his thoughts, sharpening long claws on the rough bark before laying out. Victor would sit and watch him, wait for the perfect opportunity to approach, except Yuri completely  _ ruins _ the moment by climbing onto his back, leaning forward and  _ biting _ his ear; Victor assumes it’s to get his attention. The action causes him to yelp and jerk forward, landing on his face as Yuri rolls off his back and onto the ground in front of him. Naturally there’s a lot of noise, and when Victor looks up the male on top of the log is on all fours, defensive and growling.

Blue eyes meet brown, and Victor sees the moment the other male recognizes them. There’s almost a  _ moment _ , except Yuri sits up and growls out, “What are  _ you _ doing here?!” Victor wants to groan.

The other male shoots Yuri an amused look and says, “I-I should be the one asking you that. I live here.”

Victor shoots Yuri  _ a look _ before walking moving closer to the log, although he stops when the one on top of it tenses and turns to him. He lets out a soft coo, because the last thing he wants is for the other to be tense around him. “Pups say the darndest things, don’t they? Especially Yuri.”

“I am NOT a pup, old man!”

“I’m not a pup..”

Victor frowns and cocks his head to the side, a matching frown on the one above him. “I didn’t say you were.”

“But you just…” The confusion seems to clear on the other’s face and it makes Victor’s insides warm when the brown-eyed Drake laughs little, a small, hesitant thing. “Seems we have something in common then. My name is Yuuri.”

Victor knows it’s irrational, but part of him is jealous that the smaller Yuri gets to share this with the now named older Yuuri.

“Hey, no! I was Yuri first!”

Victor’s lips turn up into something of a smile as he turns to the hissing pup, “Oh, but he’s older. So he would have to be first. Perhaps.. I know! From now on, you can be Yurio!”

“Don’t you dare call me that!”

Victor smiles and preens when Yuuri laughs again and Victor wants to continue to make him happy, make the light shine in his eyes and just be close..

“Ugh, Victor, you’re doing it again.”

“Are you alright?”

Victor shakes himself out of his reverie and turns back to Yuuri, who has finally started to relax; He’s not laying down, but his posture is no longer as tense. Yuuri is looking at him somewhat worriedly, and Victor doesn’t like it. He moves slow, so the other knows what he’s doing, and approaches the log, putting his hands on it and getting as close (but not too close, because he doesn’t want to scare him off even though he wants to rub himself over the other, let their scents mingle and  _ damnit, he’s doing it again! _

“Yo-I’m perfect. My name is Victor, by the way!”

* * *

Yuuri doesn’t know if this day has gotten better or worse. He went to get away and calm down, only for the Drakes from before - Victor and Yuri, apparently - to quite literally fall out of the bushes. The pup seems perpetually angry and completely ignores him (although he does look back at them with a contemplative expression every now and then) and explores the small area around them, his tail twitching agitatedly while the Victor can’t seem to stop himself from  _ getting closer. _

The way Victor gives Yuuri his undivided attention is unnerving, the way his body vibrates with excitement and his pale scales lift and gleam in the light and his scent surrounds them, crisp like an unseasonal frost and Yuuri  _ thinks  _ he can detect notes of interest, but with the way the silver-haired alpha has been grilling him about, well,  _ everything _ about himself Yuuri’s unsure what that  _ interest  _ could mean (of course, it couldn’t mean anything but polite interest,  _ could it? _ ).

Yuuri cuts in when the alpha  _ finally _ stops for breath. “Y-you know, why are the two of you here?”

Victor scoots forward,  _ again _ . “We came to sit out with Chris for the seminar and so the humans could see and learn about us. It was probably one of the biggest crowds!”

Victor sounds excited, but the thought of being on display to so many of the humans makes Yuuri’s stomach flip unpleasantly. Already being on display inside the shared territory makes him queasy, which is why he sought solace in the heavier foliage where they couldn’t see him. To actually  _ be on the other side _ with them…

Victor must scent his sudden distress because the older male goes silent and frowns, dipping down to look into Yuuri’s eyes from where he’s laid his head down. “Are you okay?” He asks silently.

Yuuri lets out a breath, which ends on something of an incredulous whine. “How do you do it? Be.. out with them like that?”

Victor hums a little, “Well, I’ve spent a lot of time around them. The ones I’ve met are harmless. They know to keep their distance. They are very curious, and they like to talk loudly and point. I can’t even begin to tell you all the times...”

Victor continues speaking, but something in the nonchalant way that Victor called humans  _ harmless _ leaves a bitter taste in Yuuri’s mouth, because he knows personally how  _ not _ harmless they can be; how they can be cruel. Crass, human laughter, echoes of a moment in time that is only a blur anymore sound in Yuuri’s ears and he backs away from the older male, swallowing back panic that had suddenly settled into his throat. Victor jerks from his sudden movement before letting out a distress whine, “Yuuri?”

Even Yuri stops his exploration to watch as Victor moves closer once again to Yuuri, who surprisingly lets him close. Yuuri watches as the silver-haired male’s nostrils flare, crooning low and soothingly from his throat and Yuuri focuses on it. After a moment the panic ebbs away leaving his limbs slightly shaking. Victor asks quietly, “Did I.. say something wrong?”

Yuuri gives him a tired look and backs away again, his tail coming around him protectively and also creating a barrier between the two., “No, Victor. Sorry, I-I need.. to drink. Something.” He turns back (reluctantly) toward the clearing where Yuuko and Takeshi likely are still sitting. He feels suddenly drained, and while he would like to decipher the mystery that is this alpha named Victor, he needs the scents and comfort of  _ pack _ more.

* * *

Victor watches Yuuri walk ahead silently, biting his lip. He doesn’t know what he did wrong, and while Yuuri  _ says _ everything is alright, it’s evident in his scent that it is decidedly  _ not _ . Victor’s instincts urge him to  _ croon _ and  _ comfort _ , to fix his wrongs and show his chosen that he can care for him.

Except Yuuri backed away again; let Victor close only to push him away. The back and forth is confusing him, because one minute the smaller male seems interested, like he can sense Victor’s own interest only to retreat. It’s confusing and not a little frustrating.

“What’d you do to upset the pig?”

Victor turns to Yuri, who is unsurprisingly glaring up at him. He wants to snap at the younger for the vulgar nickname to his chosen, but his worry for Yuuri has him turning back to watch the dark haired male as he continues to move away from them. “I don’t know, Yurio.”

“Don’t call me that!”

He ignores Yura’s outburst, instead shaking his body off and following after Yuuri. He comes up beside the other male, who glances at him before stopping just at the edge of a false wood line. Ahead of them, Victor can see some large, flat rocks with a small pond behind them. Where they’re at, Victor can see humans in small groups interspersed along the clear barrier, talking to themselves and using their things called  _ phones _ to take  _ pictures _ and Victor realizes why they’d stopped.

He turns to look at Yuuri, who is also studying the humans with a resigned look and croons gently to him, daring to move closer to the male (who actually lets him). “You don’t have to be afraid; the barriers keep them out.” Victor thinks the smaller male gives him a grateful look, which makes him puff his chest out with pride.

“Ugh, why are you two so  _ slow _ ?”

Victor growls a little because Yuri has the  _ gall _ to push between them, rubbing against their sides and stepping out into the clearing (and Victor also wants to cry, because Victor hasn’t even tried  _ touching _ the other and this  _ pup  _  just comes up and rubs against his Yuuri? It’s  _ not fair _ ). The youngest of their trio looks back at them, tail whipping back and forth. “Don’t be such a  _ pup _ . We have claws and they don’t. Besides, they’re out there and we’re in here.” Yuri doesn’t stop to wait for a response, instead continuing towards the rocks.

Victor wants to apologize, but when he turns to the Drake beside him Yuuri looks almost relaxed and Victor knows that somehow Yuri’s brazen words and confidence  _ actually helped _ and Victor is somewhat thankful for the whirlwind that is Yuri (he’s not jealous,  _ he’s not _ ).

There’s a spike in noise from the humans as Victor and Yuuri make their way toward the rocks, Yuuri bypassing them completely as he goes straight for the waterline. Victor admires the darker male as he dips his head and drinks deeply, watching in rapt amazement as water slides down Yuuri’s neck when he finally lifts his head. The other male shoots him a somewhat amused look and Victor realizes then he was caught (unashamedly) staring and only offers a shrug in return.

He moves forward, intending to ask if the water had made Yuuri feel better when they’re engulfed in a large shadow. Victor looks up to find a very large, very loudly growling Drake on the large rock behind them, somehow managing to lean over Yuuri in a protective manner from his perch. He feels his stomach drop and his body tense, growling back because this male is a  _ threat _ , quite possibly to his budding claim. Yuri is suddenly at his side, growling as well and while he’s still young, Victor is grateful to have him there.

Yuuri groans, drawing all of their attention as the dark haired male looks up and pleadingly says to the large Drake, “Takeshi, please stop.”

The growls quieten, although they don’t stop completely as he looks cautiously between Victor and the two Yuris. “He’s not bothering you, is he?”

“ _ We’re _ right here, you know!”

Takeshi looks over to where Yuri is crouched next to Victor before looking back to Yuuri (although he never really takes his eyes off the two newcomers). “These are the two you told us about, right? I’ll chase them off, just say the word.”

Victor pouts (although part of him preens that Yuuri would talk about him) as Yuuri groans again and replies, “Yes Takeshi, this is them, and no, you don’t have to.. run them off. More attention from the humans is the  _ last _ thing I need,” he adds under his breath, although Victor hears it with how close he is.

Suddenly a female pokes her head over the side (much to the chagrin of the male beside her). “Yuuri, you’re back! Oh, and who’s this?” 

“They’re the ones who got put into Yuuri’s territory on accident. Yuuko, hey, no, what are you doing?”

Yuuko completely ignores her mate (because Victor can smell the larger male’s scent on her as she moves, as well as the softer notes of pregnancy and it soothes Victor’s instincts that he won’t have to fight his claim) as she carefully moves off the rock to slide up next to Yuuri, rubbing her cheek against the dark-haired male’s (and Victor is definitely  _ not _ jealous when Yuuri leans into her touch) as she looks at Victor curiously. The female stares at him and after a moment, she looks over at Yuri and Victor feels like he’s quite possibly passed some sort of test.

“You weren’t kidding Yuuri, he doesn’t look much older than a pup!”

_ “Hey!” _

The suddenly declaration seems to break some of the tension and Takeshi reluctantly lays on the rock above them, although his eyes never leave his mate as she leans forward and sniffs in Yuri’s direction and croons. “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Seemingly flustered at her apology, Yuri ducks his head and shoots Victor a glare when he snickers. A moment later Yuri edges forward, past Victor as he also leans in and scents the air near the female, glancing up at Takeshi above them to make sure its okay before moving closer, his confidence returning. “Yes, well, don’t do it again.”

The older Drake doesn’t seem bothered by the command, crooning gently and leaning in to touch noses against Yuri, who hisses and jerks backwards wiping at the appendage. “Hey!”

With Yuri distracted by Yuuko, Victor moves around them, making sure to give the female a wide berth so as not to upset her mate, and goes to sit next to Yuuri who is watching the interaction with amusement. Sensing his approach, Yuuri looks to Victor. “Is Yurio always like this? So angry?”

Victor shrugs a little and watches as Yuuko seemingly tries to engage Yuri in play, although she holds her body carefully. “Yura comes off as angry, but he is really all growl and no bite. Not unless he’s really angry, or scared.” Victor lays down on the grass beside the other, purposefully putting himself in a vulnerable position next to Yuuri; he must realize what Victor is doing, if they way his scent spikes and eyes widen are any indication.

“O-oh, I see. I guess that’s why he attacked when he did the other day then? Scared for you. He must care a lot.”

Victor chuckles a little and looks over at Yura who has somehow managed to become trapped beneath the larger female, who has also taken it upon herself to start cleaning his ears. Victor is proud of Yuri, who lays still despite the constant string of complaints coming out of his mouth. “You could say that.”

Yuuri shifts beside him and Victor turns to watch as Yuuri also lays down, hesitant, cautious, eyes on Victor the whole time. Victor feels his heart thudding hard against his chest as the other male settles, his nostrils flaring as Victor  _ finally _ believes he scents an answering interest to his own.

* * *

 

“It seems we had nothing to worry about. Victor and our Yuris seem to be getting along.”

Yakov grunts a little from his spot beside Celestino as they watch the Drakes interact with each other. “I’m a little surprised Takeshi is as calm as he is with another Alpha male so close to his mate.”

Celestino chuckles a little, “You and I both. He growls up a storm anytime we set foot inside their enclosure anymore. Phichit thinks we’ll have baby Drakes running around in the future.”

“Hmph. I guess that helps. Not to mention Victor seems quite taken with your Yuuri there, Takeshi must think he has no competition.”

“Exactly.”

The two biologists turn away from the enclosure, trusting the other handlers around them to keep an eye on everything and start heading toward Celestino’s office. “I’m very pleased, if I must be honest. I almost expected Victor to act the same way he does at home. He hasn’t shown any interest in another Drake since we brought Yuri to the Center.”

The Italian biologist nods, “We’ve been very pleased with how Yuuri’s been adapting to being in the Center. He’s still skittish around some of the other Drakes, mostly JJ and Seung-Gil. You’ll have to go around to their enclosures to see them; JJ’s going through a rut with a potential mate and Seung-Gil is shedding and won’t leave.”

The two older men settle into chairs around Celestino’s desk, exhausted from the day. Of course, that doesn’t stop Celestino’s mind from wandering back to the communal enclosure and the Drakes inside of it. “Do you think Victor will try and court Yuuri? Since you say he’s not shown interest to other Drakes the way he has Yuuri?”

Yakov taps the arm of the chair. “He very well could. We would need to watch, give them more time together. There’s no guarantee though, and as of right now we’ve only got the week here.”

“Ah.”

Both men lapse into silence, the only sounds coming from their breathing and the sound of the clock on the wall.

“You know.. It would be interesting to study how a more feral Drake acts around one who’s lived his whole life in captivity. Would he court Yuuri differently, you think? I could talk to my director, pitch the idea. It could give them more time together, see if they start courting, and give us something new to study so we wouldn’t be wasting any funds.” Yakov hums a little in reply.

“It’s worth a shot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They’re finally together again! Lol   
> I can not express how much your patience, kudos and kind words mean to me!   
> See you in the next chapter!


	7. Courting (?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Good luck you two..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *crawls out of the hole she's been hiding and throws chapter at you*
> 
> Hey everyone! Heh.. its me...months later.. with another chapter.. *sweats*
> 
> Okay, so this chapter has been fighting me forever, and I have to confess that I'm not a regular writer. Between that, and work, kids, life in general, and the fact that I started with fic no set outline or plan, it just got away from me. And believe me, I've been beating myself up over it. So I'm really happy to present this chapter to you, and look forward to your comments!
> 
> Big shout out to my beta! I couldn't do this without her!
> 
> And I would like to re-iterate, while I may not update quickly, I WILL NOT abandon this fic. One way or another, it will get completed. So please, bear with me!! Thank you!!
> 
> EDIT: I did a sketch! Check it out on my Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ZRDwlndjt/?igshid=169mx000dvk4g>

Something shifts that day in the communal enclosure for the two drakes, especially for Victor. Chris has to physically stop the starry-eyed alpha from following the dark-scaled drake into his enclosure that night. Both he and Phichit agree that things are looking promising between the two drakes and leave the center that night with high hopes.

It takes a day or so for both Celestino and Yakov to hear back from their respective higher ups, but they get a green light to go ahead on the basis that  _ must _ take place. Not that they’re worried about that. Chris wasn’t surprised at all when Victor made his way directly to Yuuri as soon as they’d released him into the communal enclosure, Yuri following moodily behind the elder drake. 

He and Phichit watched as the silver-scaled drake plastered himself to Yuuri’s side and proceeded to stay there for most of the day. The two handlers could tell that Yuuri was flummoxed by the sudden affection, and at one point became overwhelmed and sought out Yuuko and Takeshi; the other Drakes easily kept the amorous one at bay, although Victor kept as close as he could without upsetting the larger alpha. 

And this was only the  _ first _ day.

The next week was spent recording video and taking notes as Victor (unsurprisingly) put all his effort into trying to court the other Drake, and boy, Yakov wasn’t kidding when he said that, due to spending most of his time being raised more by humans, Victor’s courting rituals would be a bit  _ different. _

Poor Victor was already backwards, pushing himself into Yuuri’s space instead of staying close and enticing the other closer. The next few days Phichit and Chris watched as Victor hopped around, grabbing things (mostly shiny rocks and things that generally looked interesting) and offering them to Yuuri, instead of making a nest and putting those materials  _ in _ it like most courting drakes. It was very endearing to watch, though, especially when Victor dragged his favorite blanket (a blanket he’s had since Yakov found him) into Yuuri’s enclosure.

Victor tried his hardest, and poor Yuuri was generally confused at some of Victor’s other antics, they were happy to see omega respond to his efforts after a time. Yuuri picked and chose which of the gifts to keep (taking the blanket directly into his little nest in his cave, much to the two handlers’ delights) and while Yuuri often became overwhelmed by Victor’s clinginess, he would generally return to the alpha, especially when Victor would click and whine and preen, lifting and showing off his scales like normal alphas would when courting their potential mates.

* * *

“Victor is a weird one, isn’t he?”

Yuuko looks up at her mate before looking towards where Victor tries to lay over Yuuri, like how Yuuko does when she knows the other is feeling anxious or overwhelmed. The smaller drake slips out of underneath the alpha and bats the other with his tail some to show his displeasure. She chuckles a little as Victor gives Yuuri a sad look. “He’s just a little different, that’s all.”

Her mate snorts, “Different is definitely a word for it. I mean, does he actually know what he’s doing? I remember, I made you the largest nest I could. Took me two tries before I was finally happy about it enough to show you. From what Yuuri’s told us, he hasn’t even shown signs of even building one! Just...brings it all to him.”

Yuuko lets out a contemplative click, thinking about a conversation she had with Yuuri the other day. He’d come to her and curled close, and it took her forever to get the other to actually air out his concerns. His voice had been so small. 

_ “What am I to him? He’s very kind, and I enjoy being around him, but I’m not so sure.. Is he seriously courting me or am I just new pack to him?” _

She shifts around a little and nudges her mate, “Perhaps he just needs some advice.”

Takeshi lets out a small growl, but leans down to nuzzle her back. “I would, but he hasn’t come to me. Maybe he wants to figure it out on his own”

She coos at her mate, letting out a small sigh. She knows it’s an excuse, knows its because of the pups they’re going to have, that fill her belly and get bigger by the day. How she moves less and less, and in the next day or so won’t leave their own territory and stay nest bound. That even though Takeshi  _knows_ Victor has no interest in her, he's still another alpha.

She looks one more time towards her packmate and his suitor.  _ Good luck, you two… _

* * *

The only thing Chris and Phichit didn’t take into account was Yuri. The younger drake was there with the two elders any time the courting drakes were inside the communal enclosure, oftentimes emulating Victor to some extent (Yuri always did have somewhat of a colder personality). It was endearing to watch and while the older Yuuri didn’t seem to mind, Chris could tell that Victor wasn’t too happy about the pup monopolizing some of his prospective mate’s time. They observed the alpha’s agitation in the way Victor would stiffen, scales lifted not to preen but to threaten when the younger was near and in the way Victor would keep himself between the pup and Yuuri, tail twitching. It was both expected and odd, because while Victor had shown irritation at the pup before, it never went past mild tail twitching and occasional nips. Victor’s agitation was particularly bad on this day, and Phichit apparently noticed too.

“Victor is  _ not _ happy with little Yuri right now, is he?” Phichit motioned towards the enclosure, where Victor once again bodily stops Yuri from getting close to the other Yuuri, who is currently sharpening claws on one of the trees. They’re at the edge of the treeline, in the clearing that leads to their normal “hangout” by the rocks and water.

Chris shakes his head. “No, he’s very agitated right now. He’s never really treated Yuri this way, and I have to think the young one is probably confused and upset. Yuri’s spent most of his time in the center with Victor’s attention mostly on him, so to suddenly be pushed aside...”

“We should probably take this to Ciao Ciao and Yakov then.” Phichit bites his lip as he looks worriedly at Chris.

“I agree. Let's see if we can get them into their enclosures; separation is probably the best route right now.” Life had other plans though, and things escalated before they could act.

While the two handlers are discussing new enclosure arrangements, Yuri manages to sneak past the elder drake while his head is turned, bounding toward the older Yuuri with what could be seen as a playful yip. The alpha is anything but playful when he catches sight of the pup, reacting instinctually with a snarl as he bears down on the now terrified pup, who has never seen his elder act this way towards him.

Chris and Phichit, who had been turned towards each other as they spoke, jump and swiftly look towards the drakes at the sound of the snarl. Chris feels his heart in his throat as the alpha forces the pup down, head suddenly going towards the throat-

But then Yuuri is there; shy, generally even tempered Yuuri snarling and forcing the alpha down, teeth snapping and growls filling the air. Yuuri doesn’t stop until he’s got the alpha pinned, teeth snug against his neck and for a moment Chris thinks Victor is going to fight back, but the alpha, stunned, drops against the ground in submission. 

Yuuri doesn’t immediately let go, holding the larger drake down for a moment before pulling off. Victor wisely doesn’t get up, moving only to roll to his side and watch as the omega goes to Yuri, who is equally stunned at the display, although the pup ducks down as Yuuri approaches. The elder simply leans down and scruffs the pup with his teeth; Yuri lets out an indignant growl, but doesn’t fight as Yuuri (awkwardly, because Yuri isn’t small anymore) carries the younger towards the rocks where Takeshi and Yuuko sit. He sets the pup down only when he gets near the water and very purposely lays down atop the other, keeping the pup in place despite Yuri’s growls, whines, and nips.

Victor doesn’t move from his spot for a while, whining and chirping mournfully (all of which are ignored by the omega). Chris and Phichit tense when Victor rises and Takeshi rises with him, the larger alpha with his head ducked and teeth bared, but Victor doesn’t move towards the group, instead backing up and sulking back into the treeline with one last look at Yuuri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments give me life!

**Author's Note:**

> Whew! That's the first chapter! Next chapter will start out with Phichit's POV, but we WILL have Yuuri's POV next chapter. Victor will appear in Chapter 3.  
> Next chapter will likely be out sometime next month, unless you'd rather shorter chapters and quicker updates. Let me know in the comments!  
> Comments are appreciated. I'm really good with constructive criticism, but please don't comment if all you're going to do is be negative. Otherwise, I'd love to hear what you have to say!  
> Thank you for reading!


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